Trainer of Dragons
by Jpbake
Summary: All Branch wanted to be was a dragon killer like his grandma. However when he finally captures a dragon he finds himself unable to kill it. Freeing the dragon and choosing to study its ways he soon finds out that there is more to these dragons than anybody ever knew. A parody of How to train your dragon
1. This is the Troll Tree

**With only two chapters left of Poppy and the Phantom now seems like the perfect time to get a start on my next Trolls adaption Trainer of Dragons, my long promised adaption of How to Train your Dragon. Hope you like it let's get started.**

 _This is the Troll Tree, it's located thirty miles east of The middle of nowhere and thirty miles south of dying of boredom. The tree is hundreds of years old but nearly every single building is new. Why you ask? We will get to that in a minute. The Troll tree isn't exactly the best place in the world to live. The place smells like a wet dog after rolling in a pile of smelly garbage after eating a dead skunk, and the people of Troll tree act like a crocodile with a toothache and broken tail bone. Yeah it's not that homie, but it's home. The worst part of the Troll Tree though is the pest, while other places have snakes or scorpions we have..._

A giant red reptile shoots fire at a house, a blue troll quickly shuts the door to avoid getting scorched "Dragons!"

 _My name is Branch by the way, I know weird name but that's how it is for Trolls, we aren't that keen into giving each other normal names like Justin or James. No instead we usually give names that usually deals with nature or our personality. Yeah there is some exceptions like my friend Cooper but for the most part we name our babies off of our attitudes or nature. So yeah, Branch it is for me._

 _Anyway back to the dragons. They have been hanging around this tree since long before trolls settled here. Why our ancestors chose to settle on a tree infested with dragons, I will never know but they did and they have been giving us problems ever since, attacking our livestock and burning down anybody and anything that gets in the way._

 _Our main livestock is worms, we use them for a lot of different things, never for food though, that's plain nasty. No, we use silk worms to make clothing, using their silk to knit things like vests and dresses, the glow worms we use to light our lanterns at night, milking them and using their milk like oil to see. Then the earthworms we use to plow our fields to plant our gardens, their really quit good at it, who needs a horse and a oxen when you can strap a yoke to a earthworm and have him dig through the dirt._

 _But sadly these worms are a favorite food for the dragons and as a result trolls have gone to war with them to protect both their worms and themselves from the fire of a dragons rage. Now contrary to our fierce reputation not every troll in the tree is a dragon killer. See when every troll is born their parents take them at one week of age to the Cloud Guy, A all knowing, all seeing talking cloud with limbs who lives in the mountains just east of the Troll Tree. Then the parents will present the child to the Cloud Guy in order to reveal if they are going to be a dragon killer or not. If they are then as soon as they hit sixteen years of age they begin training to be a dragon trainer. If not however they are forced to find a new calling in life. Now even though being a dragon killer is what every troll parent dreams their child to be that doesn't mean non dragon killers are shunned, actually they are really well respected and accepted. It's only when a troll tries to defy the ruling of the Cloud Guy that problems arise. And sadly one of those trolls happens to be me._

Branch runs outside right into where all the trolls are fighting off the dragons, carrying a shield, and either a sword or ax in their hands. Branch saw as one dragon lifted a troll in the air the troll beat at the dragon with it's sword trying to pierce it's skin but the dragon just ignored him as he picked off a worm. Seeing a sword Branch picked it up and started to charge at one of the dozens of dragons only for another troll to yank it from his hands.

"Give me that." The troll yelled snatching a weapon.

"Get back inside" A female troll yelled

"Get out of the way!" Another troll said shoving Branch into a stable causing his foot to get stuck in a bucket and fall into the mud.

"Branch!" A older female troll with purple skin and green hair yelled picking Branch out of the mud. "What are you doing out again?"

"Sorry,"

"Get to your station immediately we need weapons!"

 _That's Rosiepuff the fierce, chief of the tribe. They say when she was just a baby she popped a dragons head clean off it's shoulders. Do I believe it?_

Rosiepuff picks up a cart with her bare hands and threw it at a oncoming dragon, knocking it to the ground.

 _Yes, I most certainly do believe it._

"What do we got?" Rosiepuff asked one of her top men

"Widowmakers, rabid horrors, and troll eaters and monstrous reapers."

"Any feathered furies?"

"Not yet."

"Good let's keep it that way."

"Branch so nice of you to finally join the party." A older orange troll with wild pink hair and a thick pink mustache said hammering on a sword. "I thought you might have been carried off by a Troll eater.

"Who me?" Branch joked "Nah, they wouldn't know what to do with someone like me."

"Yeah, because you are very high in cholesterol, it would give him a heart attack." A pink four legged troll with blue dreads replied.

"Ha ha ha, very funny Cooper."

 _That orange troll with the wild mustache is Peppy, Rosiepuff's right hand man. I am also Peppy's apprentice and work along side him along with the rest of my friends as a blacksmith. While Peppy is a dragon killer like Rosiepuff neither me or the rest of my friends in his shop, Cooper, Smidge, Guy Diamond, Fuzzbert, Reby, and Suki aren't. Still feeling a need to help despite not being a dragon killer they all took jobs as blacksmiths and decided to make weapons for the dragon killers. While I have became very good at the craft, even once made a sword out of pure stone, (long story) it never seemed to cool down my urge to one day kill a dragon, hence forth I kept some of my finest work in secret and kept them for myself in hopes on someday using it against a dragon._

"Catapults!" Rosiepuff ordered "We need catapults!"

"You heard her kids!" Peppy replied as a dragon burned down the roof to a pod. "Bring out the catapults!"

 _See that dragon that burned down that pod, that's what I meant by earlier, old tree, lot's and lot's on old houses._

As Cooper, Reby, and Smidge drug out some catapults for the adult trolls to use, Rosiepuff ordered a group of other kids to get gather water to put out the flames.

 _You see those kids carrying buckets, that big blue one is Biggie, the twins fighting over a single bucket is Satin and Chenille, the purple one is Creek and that Pink girl is_ **Gasp** _Poppy, Peppy's daughter. They are all future Dragon trainers, and as they are soon approaching the age of sixteen their time is about to come for to be part of the next dragon training sessions. Oh how I wish I could join them, be close to them be close to_ **Poppy** _But sadly that will never happen as long as I'm stuck here as a boring old blacksmith. That luck will change however, I know it._

Peppy caught Branch staring at Poppy and picked him up by the back of his shirt and pulled him back to a sword that needed hammering.

"I wasn't staring at your daughter." Branch choked nervously.

"He was staring at your daughter." Suki ratted out as she worked on a ax. Branch gave her a quick death glare before turning back to explain himself to Peppy, who frowned down on him with his arms crossed.

"Okay I was but only because I'm envious of what they are getting to do. Come on just let me out there I need to leave my mark."

"Oh you'll make plenty of marks all in the wrong places." Peppy replied

"Come on just two minutes, I will kill a dragon I swear." Branch replied "My life will get ten times better I might even get a date."

" **Cough** With Poppy **Cough, Cough.** " Suki teased causing Branch to glare at her again

"What?" Suki pretended to ask all innocently.

"You can't lift a battle hammer, you can't swing a ax, you can't even throw one of these." Peppy held up a pair of bolas, right as a troll used grabbed them to throw at a dragon.

"Yes but this will throw it for me." Branch replied running to the back room and pushed out a machine that looked like a mixture or a catapult with a crossbow.

"Where did you get that?" Peppy asked

"I made it, and trust me this is all I need to capture a dragon." Branch patted it and it caused the crossbow part of the machine to shoot out a net that ended up entangling a guy walking up to the booth to buy a weapon.

"Oops, sorry." Branch chuckled nervously, the entangled troll just glared at him.

"See this right here is what I'm talking about," Peppy scolded.

"It's a mild tweak, something I can fix."

"Branch, listen to me, if you ever want to go out there and fight dragons you need to stop being all of..." Peppy then gestured to Branch's entire body "This!"

"But you just pointed to all of me."

"Yes exactly, stop being all of you."

"Oh you are making a big mistake," Branch said trying to act all tough, Peppy wasn't buying it though. "You are making a big mistake trying to keep all this troll warrior contained.

"I'll take my chances." Peppy then tossed Branch a sword. "Here sharpen this they need me out there." Peppy ran outside to join the others in battle while Branch mumbled to himself while sharpening his sword.

"Hey, give up on the whole dragon killing dream." Guy Diamond said in a calm friendly tone "You got yourself a perfectly bright future right here with all of us."

 _Oh one day I am going to get out there because killing a dragon, is everything. A Rabid horror will surely get me noticed, Widowmakers are tough, killing one of those will definitely get me laid, a troll eater, two heads twice the status. Then there is the monstrous reapers. Only the best trolls go after those, they have a nasty habit of setting themselves on fire. But the ultimate prize is something nobody has ever seen."_

A loud whistle screamed from the sky. Everybody ducked as a explosion was shot out and the catapults exploded.

" _The feathered Fury. This thing never steals food, never shows itself and..._

The feathered fury shot at some more catapults sending all the trolls scrambling.

 _Never misses. No one has ever killed a feathered fury. But I am going to be the first._

Seeing the damage that the feathered fury was doing Branch dropped his sword and ran out for his machine.

"Hey where are you going?" Guy Diamond asked

"Where do you think?" It then donned on them

"Wait don't do it Branch!" To late Branch already made his way outside with his machine

"He is going to get himself killed out there." Cooper sighed as they watched Branch walk off. Fuzzbert just shook his head in disbelief.

Finding a safe spot away from the mayhem with all the other trolls Branch set up his weapon and waited eagerly for a dragon to show it's head.

"Come on give me something to shoot at, get me something to shoot at." It was then that he heard the whistle of the feathered fury, seeing the light from the feathered fury's flames he frantically fired his weapon shooting a set of bolas at the dragon, entangling it. Branch watched in shock as the dragon fell behind the mountains screaming in it's decent.

"I, I did it!" Branch gasped "I did it!" Branch started jumping up and down in his joy. "Did anybody see that." It was then that a monstrous reaper crept up behind him and lit himself on fire. Branch felt the presence to the reaper and slowly turned himself around.

"Anybody except you?"

Rosiepuff was battling a Widowmaker when she suddenly was distracted by the sound of someone screaming. Turning around she saw Branch running for his life being chased by a monstrous reaper. "Somebody take over I have to go save Branch _again."_ Rosiepuff replied, rolling her eyes as she picked up a sword.

Branch ran across the rooftops trying to get away from the monstrous reaper chasing him.

"No, get away." Branch screamed as he tried to get away from the reaper. He barely was able to dodge the blast coming from the reapers mouth. The blast hit a windmill quickly engulfing the entire thing in flames. "Bad dragon, bad, bad, bad, dragon." Branch jumped from the roof of one of the pods and fell hard on the roof of another losing his footing. The reaper pinned him on the ground preventing him from getting up, his eyes widening in horror Branch watched as the reaper opened his mouth ready to fire, only for Rosiepuff to come from behind and use her ax to pull the dragon's mouth away. The fire from the reaper hit a tower the flames quickly engulfed the building and it tumbled to the ground, the debris hitting several other houses destroying the houses in the process. In the chaos the reaper that attacked Branch, as well as all the other dragons flew off, several of them carrying off worms in their talons.

" _Oh and there is one other thing you should know."_

"Hi... Grandma." Branch gulped as he saw Rosiepuff glaring at him in disapproval. The windmill that caught on fire crumbled to the ground and the still burning wheel started rolling on the ground destroying several pods in the process as he watched several houses, wagons and even other trolls get ran over by the burning wheel. Branch just cringed as he watched the windmill smash several pods.

"Okay but I hit a feathered fury." Branch replied trying to find a positive in what just happened. Rosiepuff didn't respond instead just grabbing Branch by the arm and started pulling him off.

"It's not like the other times Grandma I really did hit one, it landed just behind the mountains, if we can get a search party we can find it!"

"Stop!" Rosiepuff finally blurted out letting go of Branch's arm and turning to face him. "Just stop, every time you step outside disaster strikes. Why can't you just follow simple directions."

"I can't help it grandma. I see a dragon and I just need to kill it, it's who I am."

"No Branch it's not. How many times do we have to go through this. You have many talents Branch, but killing dragons is not one of them. Why can't you just accept what the Cloud Guy decided for you. We all can't be dragon killers Branch, as much as I would of loved that from you that is not who are are. Now stop defying the Cloud Guy's choice, before you get yourself or someone else killed." Rosiepuff turned to Peppy. "Take Branch home, I need to clean up his mess _again._ "

Branch held his head hung low in shame as Peppy led him off. To add insult to injury Peppy lead Branch past Poppy and the other future dragon killers where Creek and the twins were laughing at him.

"Bravo Branch, bravo." Satin laughed

"More, more" Chenille added

"Man I have never seen anyone make that big of a mess by themselves." Creek mocked "That has to be a new record. How does it feel to the grandson of the troll chief and be the biggest blunder of the entire tribe."

Branch didn't respond as much as he wanted to bury Creek and the twins faces into sand he knew that they were right. He messed up _again,_ made a fool out of himself _again._ And to make matters worst, he actually did hit a dragon and no one believed him because all they saw was a loser.

"I will find that dragon." Branch thought "And I will bring it's head to and show it to the entire tribe. Then, I will get the respect that I deserve.

 **And that's the first chapter, hope you like it. Chapter two won't be updated until I finish Poppy and the Phantom but luckily you won't have that long of a wait.**

 **Oh and Reby is actually Reby Montana who asked to be added at the last minute. I do have a role for you Reby, it just won't be a very huge one.**

 **Till then see you all later.**


	2. Cloud Guy

Branch didn't share many of the same traits or personalities with his grandma but if there was one thing they did both share it was there stubbornness. Both of them were equally hard headed and when their mind was made up on something it was near impossible to change it. As a result it led to several arguments between the two trolls and a relationship that was rocky at best. Branch was determined to be a dragon killer despite his future being chosen for him at birth, and Rosiepuff was determined to keep Branch away from the dragons for that very reason.

After a _long_ talk with Peppy over the previous incidents and Branch faking agreeing with everything he was told just to get Peppy to shut up, Branch went to bed and went to work the next morning. Not even saying a word to his Grandma who he was still angry with as he grabbed himself a breakfast bar on the go and went to work.

The scene when he arrived was awkward to say the least. All of his friends could tell that Branch was in a sour mood after his latest humiliation, and nobody knew exactly what to say that would cheer him up.

"Man you look like someone ate your last blue berry muffin." Cooper said absent minded noticing the glare on Branch's face.

"Thank you for your encouraging and helpful words." Branch growled as he went to work sharpening a sword.

"You get a lecture again?" Smidge asked

"What do you think?" Branch snapped

"I take it your mind hasn't changed any has it?"

"I just can't understand why they won't let me at least have a chance to decide my own destiny. So what if some Cloud Guy destined for me not to be a dragon killer when I was born. Shouldn't I have a chance to find my on path?"

"You know that your grandma is only trying to protect you right?" Suki replied

"I don't know, sometimes I think she keeps me stuck in this place because she is ashamed of me?"

"Nah, your grandma loves you Branch." Guy Diamond replied "It's your stubbornness and bone headed attitude she can't stand."

"Thank you for your kind words." Branch growled again.

" _SQUAWK Guy Diamond is a dummy SQUAWK!"_ A blue and yellow Macaw that sat on a perch in the store squawked. The bird who was named Priscilla was the store's unofficial pet and was found by Reby, a nature loving troll who worked with Branch in the weapons shop. Like the others in the shop she was a non dragon killer. Not that she cared she was a serious nature and animal lover and preferred peace to violence. Which was kind of awkward considering that she worked as a blacksmith and was a experienced archer. But considering there wasn't very many non dragon related careers she had to make money somewhere.

"Who taught that bird that!?" Guy Diamond yelled turning to Priscilla angrily. He turned his head and glared at Cooper when he heard him trying to hold a laugh in. "It was you wasn't it?"

"What? No?" Cooper replied innocently as he rolled his eyes.

 _SQUAWK! Guy Diamond screams like a little school girl SQUAWK!"_ Guy Diamond continued to stare Cooper down

"Seriously I taught that bird nothing." Cooper continued to deny while trying and failing to hold back a laugh.

"Anyway," Suki tried to get back on topic with Branch. "Your grandmother does love you Branch, she is just scared you are going to end up like her son and daughter in law. You do know what happened to them right?"

"Well yeah, Grandmother told me they were killed by a dragon when I was a baby. Which is why I am desperate to be a dragon killer. So that I can avenge their deaths."

"They too wasn't dragon killers. But Grandma saw them out on the battle field one day when there was a heated battle with the dragons. They were running towards a feathered fury when it snatched both of them up and carried them off. Rosiepuff did everything she could to run after them but the dragon was just to fast. Witnessing what happened to them, and knowing that like you they weren't dragon killers she swore she would do everything in her power to keep you safe. And seeing you out there trying to fight those demons knowing your calling, it scares her more than it angers her."

"I just want to find my own path Suki, is that to hard to ask?"

"Hey what's wrong with this place?" Smidge asked "You got us to talk to and the pay isn't exactly garbage."

"Not to mention this place is always entertaining and unpredictable." Cooper added "You never know what is going to come bursting through that door.

"GUY DIAMOND!" They all heard Reby Scream as she kicked the door in. By the look on her face everybody could tell she was angry.

"See, what did I tell you?" Cooper laughed. Reby had sky blue skin, bright red hair, icy blue eyes and lots of glitter freckles. But seeing how angry she was her eyes came across as more red the blue.

"Care to explain this?" Reby walked up to Guy Diamond and held up a sword that had it's handle decorated with blue and yellow feathers and glitter. Cooper, Smidge and Suki all burst out laughing when they saw the sword handle.

"What? That wasn't me you have no proof." Guy Diamond denied

"Oh really? Then how to you explain the silver glitter huh?"

"Um? You can buy some at the store."

 _SQUAWK It was Guy Diamond SQUAWK!_

"Tattle bird." Guy Diamond growled. Cooper was rolling on the floor with laughter now as Reby crossed her arms and stared him down.

"Okay yes I used some of Priscilla's feathers to decorate a sword but they were just laying there on the floor making a mess. What did you expect me to do?"

"Oh I don't know? How about get a broom and sweep them up."

"Hey at least this way I am making good use of them."

"You are making a disgrace of Priscilla's beautiful feathers by using them on something meant to kill that is what your doing."

"I honestly don't see the big deal in this."

"Hey guys don't you think Branch's problem is a bit more serious then a stupid sword." Suki replied "Branch is having issues with his grandma."

"Oh Branch I'm pretty sure whatever problems you are having with your grandma will pass soon." Reby replied in a sweet voice towards Branch before turning her angry glare back at Guy Diamond. "Now as for you, you little..."

Fuzzbert was sitting on a stool sharpening a sword as he overheard the argument between Guy Diamond and Reby. Feeling the tension growing, he hopped down from his stool, took out a sign that read "Out to lunch." And whistled to himself as he walked out of the store, not wanting to be present for whatever fight was about to break out.

"I don't even know why you brought that stupid bird here in the first place." Guy Diamond shouted.

"That bird has more of a brain then you ever real!"

"All he ever does is stand around and make noise."

"Then you two should be getting along real well." Cooper replied

 _SQUAWK COOPER IS AWESOME SQUAWK_

"It _was_ you who taught that stupid bird all those things."

"Don't you dare be rude to my bird like that! Now apologize to Priscilla for all those mean words about her and promise to never use her feathers to decorate your weapons of death again."

"Ugh do I have to?" Guy Diamond sighed.

"Do you want two black eyes?" Reby threatened

"Fine. I am sorry for calling your bird stupid."

"Thank you." Reby smirked "And..."

"And I will never decorate another sword with her feathers." Guy Diamond growled "I'll just stick with decorating Cooper's hats with them."

"You've been doing what now?" Cooper gasped

"Uh oh." Guy Diamond gulped, realizing he just said to much. Cooper instantly darted home, a few moments later they all heard a shriek before Cooper came racing toward Guy Diamond and tackled him to the ground and started beating the snot out of him. Smidge tried her best to break the fight up only for Guy Diamond to unintentionally grab her by the hair and throwing her against a wall. The two stopped fighting temporarily to stare at Smidge in horror. Smidge slowly picked herself up off the floor and glared at the two fighting trolls.

"That's it, it's on now." Smidge then charged Guy Diamond causing him to release a high pitched scream.

 _SQUAWK Guy Diamond screams like a girl SQUAWK!_

"I hate that bird!" Guy Diamond screamed as they three rolled on the floor beating each other up.

"Don't you talk to my bird like that!" Reby screamed before lunging into the pile herself. Not knowing what else to do Suki just shrugged and jumped into the pile and joined the free for all.

"Okay well I'm going to go." Branch replied feeling awkward watching his friends fight on the floor.

"Okay Branch see you later." Reby said in a sweet voice while yanking on Guy Diamond's hair. Thirty seconds after Branch left Peppy walked into the store and just froze in shock as he saw his employees wrestling each other on the floor.

"What's going on here?" Peppy demanded. Noticing Peppy in the room everybody froze in place. Reby was still yanking Guy Diamond's hair. Cooper had Smidge in a head lock while Suki had her hands around Cooper's neck. They all stared at Peppy with their eyes wide as saucers as they all got up and pointed at Guy Diamond

"He started it." The other four trolls said pointing at Guy Diamond. Guy Diamond gulped as Peppy glared down at him

Meanwhile in the mountains Branch was searching for the dragon he had previously shot. He had calculated the area where he saw the dragon fell and searched every possible area where he thought it would be but came up empty each time.

"Ugh, the gods must hate me. Some people lose there socks, Cooper lost his mind, me I lose a entire dragon. Now I am lost in the mountains, deep in the Cloud Guy's territory about to pull my stupid hair out in frustration. Oh I hope the Cloud Guy doesn't notice me."

 _ **WHO DARES ENTER THE TERRITORY OF THE ALL KNOWING ALL SEEING CLOUD GUY!**_

The sudden booming echoing voice nearly made Branch jump out of his skin.

"Where are you?" Branch whined pulling out his dagger in fear.

" _ **I AM...**_ Right here" Cloud Guy suddenly popped out from behind a rock. "Hello Branch nice to see you. Although I am a little curious as to why you are roaming around my mountain. Nobody really comes up here unless they have a baby for me to predict their future."

"Umm..." Branch didn't know if he could tell the Cloud Guy that he was rebelling against The Cloud Guy's decision. "I am... Just going for a hike. Needed some fresh air."

"Oh really." Guy Diamond replied knowing Branch was lying. "Are you sure it's not to search for that dragon you caught in your net?"

"How do know about that?" Branch gasped

"Hello? What part of all knowing all seeing Cloud Guy do you not understand? The all knowing part or the all seeing part?" Cloud Guy then started knocking on Branch's forehead and yelling into his ear. "Hello, hello? Any common sense in there?"

"Ow! That is very loud in my ear!" Branch yelled

"Sorry," Cloud Guy replied "Anyway, the dragon is that way." Cloud Guy pointed to his left.

"Wait your not going to stop me? Lecture me about why you made your decision?"

"Nah." Cloud Guy replied "You go find your dragon, I will just stay here and wait for you to come back after you realize you made a mistake and finally respect my decision for you."

"You know something I don't do you?"

"I am all knowing. Now run along now. I will wait for you. That is unless _**YOU DIE...DIE...DIE..."**_

Branch rolled his eyes as he walked in the direction Cloud Guy pointed to. "For a all knowing all seeing immortal guru he sure is a pain in the butt." Branch mumbled to himself more determined then ever to prove them all wrong about him.

Cloud Guy chuckled to himself as he watched Branch leave. "Man I can't wait to see his reaction when he realizes he can't kill that dragon. Matter of fact I think I will follow him. I need to see this for myself."

Branch walked down a grassy hill for another half a mile when he suddenly saw something blue, silver and huge laying in a field just a few yards from him. Branch ducked behind a rock and peeked his head out and his eyes went wide in disbelief, for laying before him caught in his net was none other than a feathered fury.

 **I hope you like how I am writing your character Reby Montana. I thought it would be funny to have you freak out over Guy Diamond using bird feathers on a sword. Hope you don't mind having a more feisty side to your character.**

 **Till next time everyone.**


	3. The Feathered Fury

Branch stayed frozen in place as he stared at the beast that laid before him, Branch couldn't believe it, there caught in his net was a feathered fury. The beast was a good five inches tall and nine inches long (which is five feet by nine feet for trolls) counting it's tail. Instead of scales like most dragons, the beast was covered with blue feathers at it's head and torso and silver feathers at it's neck wings and limbs. The beast laid perfectly still for over a minute as Branch stared at it and for a moment Branch thought that the beast was already dead, that is until it shook it's torso when Branch finally started to move in closer. As Branch moved in close Branch got a look at the beast's bright yellow eyes staring right back at him. When Branch finally reached where the dragon laid he studied his catch with pure excitement, like a child after catching his first fish on a line. Only this wasn't no fish it was a big huge mother of a dragon.

"I did this." Branch gloated, "I have caught this massive beast!" Pulling his dagger from his sheath he lifted it above the dragon's head. This was it, all Branch had to do was kill this dragon, deliver it's head to Rosiepuff and prove once and for all that he had it in him to be a dragon killer. He probably wouldn't even need to leave the shop with his friends either, considering most dragon killers had full time jobs when they weren't fighting dragons. Dragons didn't attack the tree everyday and well, nobody really got paid for killing a dragon their payment usually consisted of cheers and if you was a single male usually getting lucky with at least one or two females that night. At least that's how Peppy said Poppy was born, but that's a story for another time.

The only downside that could come with killing this dragon would be Reby would probably never forgive Branch and hate him for the rest of eternity and the after life. For some odd reason Reby loved each and every animals including dragons, and spent all of her free time in the forest alone practicing archery and hanging out with nature. She hated the idea of the trolls using the swords and bows she made to slay dragons and always told everybody they weren't evil just misunderstood. Which usually resulted in the other trolls laughing at her up until the moment that Reby shot a arrow in their butt and chased them off. Yeah, Reby would probably hate Branch for what he was planning to do to this dragon, but if it got him in good favor with his Grandma and the other dragon killers, then losing one friend would be totally worth gaining hundreds of others in his eyes.

"Okay dragon, I am going to kill you, cut off your head and deliver it to my grandma. I am a troll, I was born to kill your kind."

Suddenly, as soon as Branch raised his dagger as high as his hands could, and right before he was about to lower the dagger and stab the dragon in it's neck he suddenly froze. The dragon's expression was not what he was expecting. He was always told by his grandma that dragons were cold ruthless monsters that was incapable of showing any emotions because they had no soul. But as he stared down at the dragon's eyes he could see a sign of fear. The look on the dragon's face showed that it was scared. Impossible? Dragon's were suppose to lack any emotional signs whatsoever. Branch didn't no why but the more he stared at the fear in the dragon's eyes, the more and more he found himself being unable to kill that Feathered Fury. Rather it was his conscious, stupidity, or the fear that Reby was going to shove a arrow up his butt if he went through with it, Branch lowered his dagger, instead using the dagger to cut the dragon free from the net.

The second Branch cut the dragon free it lunged at him and pinned him against a rock. In the excitement Branch dropped his dagger, which just so happened to be the only weapon he had to defend himself. Cornered and no way to break free from the Feathered Fury's mighty grip Branch closed his eyes and prepared for his end, hoping that it would be a quick and painless death. Instead the Fury just let out a high pitched sonic shriek, making Branch cover his ears with his hands to drown out most of shriek. The dragon then released him and ran into the ditch below. Branch just sat his back against the wall his ears ringing as he started to hyperventilate, in total shock of what he just witnessed. One second he was sure he was a goner, the next the dragon was gone and he was still somehow alive. Branch didn't know just what the heck happened but all he knew is that dragon had him cornered and dead to rights but somehow let him go. Overwhelmed with the shock Branch fell to the ground and fainted.

"Oh Sleeping Beauty, wake up." Branch was just starting to come around as he heard Cloud Guy calling for him in a creepy sing song way. His eyes still not yet open Cloud Guy knelt down over Branch and gave him a giant slap across the face. "Rise and shine blue boy!"

"AAH!" Branch shot up screaming as he instantly started rubbing the spot where Cloud Guy slapped him. "jeez, what was that for?"

"Oh good your not dead. See I made a bet with my buddy on how long you would last before you got yourself killed and if you had died I would have had to seriously pay up to him. So yeah your not dead."

"Is that the only reason why your happy I'm not dead?"

"Well that and I need you to fulfill your destiny, which you obviously can't do if your dead."

"Which is?"

"Well it's definitely not killing dragons I'm sure you've figured that out now the hard way."

"Okay Cloud Guy you were right." Branch waved his hands in frustration as he sat on the ground next to Cloud Guy who now sat in a state of meditation on a rock. "I can't kill a dragon I don't have it in me. I was a fool to think I was capable of doing so."

"And it took you only sixteen years and nearly becoming a dragon's lunch to figure that out. How nice."

"So what is my calling then? What am I meant to do with my life?"

"Now Branch if I told you that you wouldn't figure it out on your own." Cloud Guy smiled, opening his eyes to see a hilarious confused look on Branch's face. Cloud Guy relaxed himself and sat normally as he explained himself. "Look the best part of a journey is not knowing where your path will take you. You may have a map but you can still find yourself getting lost. It's not until you find your way back and reach the point of your journey that you know for certain will lead you to your destination that you know you have reached your path. Right now Branch, you are lost, you don't know where you are at in your life, you just need to turn around and evaluate where you are in your life and where it could be taking you. Then you will find yourself discovering what it is you are supposed to do with your life."

"Can I stop and ask for directions?"

"What do you think I am a tour guide?" Cloud Guy said sarcastically as he waved to Branch and descended back in the sky "Bye Now!"

"Wait!" Branch called out chasing after Cloud Guy as he was floating away "I still don't know what I am supposed to do."

"Your a smart kid Branch, you'll figure it out!" That was the last words Cloud Diamond said as he descended back into the sky. Angry and frustrated Branch started tugging at his hair and screaming and mumbling under his breath.

"Stupid annoying Cloud Guy with those stupid riddles and puzzles and self journey crap, I should rip off his tiny cloud arms off his tiny cloud body and high five his stupid face with it." In his anger Branch stupidly kicked a rock, and instantly regretted his decision, grabbing his toe and hopping on one foot as he started muttering some bad words under his breath.

Back in the Troll Tree Rosiepuff held a special council meeting for the rest of the high ranking trolls. The meeting, to nobodies surprise was about the dragon problem. The last dragon attack caused thousands of dollars worth in damages. On top of the houses, ranches and infrastructures that the dragons burned to the ground, they also took several of their live stocks as well as a lot of their food supplies. And with winter coming up in just a few short months this put into question how they were going to survive the upcoming winter should it be harsh, which they usually were.

"We have to strike the dragons now before they come again!" Rosiepuff ordered "We can not let them pull of another attack like the last one. Winter will be here soon and those dragons made off with several of our good silk worms and earthworms. We cannot afford to lose anymore, we need those silk worms in order to have enough blankets and sweaters for the winter."

"And we need the earthworms to plow our fields so we can stock up on enough fresh food for the winter when harvesting is impossible," Peppy added.

"Exactly." Rosiepuff said "That last attack already put us at a lost and will make things hard for this upcoming winter, we cannot afford to lose anything else."

"None of us are disagreeing with you Rosiepuff." One of the council members said "But where do you suppose we go searching? Generations before us have been searching for the dragons nest only to come out empty, how do you suppose we are going to find it."

"We have no choice but to find it." Rosiepuff answered "The survival of our entire tribe depends on it." Rosiepuff pulled out a map from her hair and unrolled it on the table to show everybody. "I have marked three possible areas to where they might be hiding. During our last trade run with the other tribes, it was reported that a lot of dragons were spotted in these areas. We send our ships out there and maybe we can find their nest, and finally put a end to what has been plaguing this tribe for generations. So, do I have any volunteers to go on this very dangerous and important mission?" None of the trolls raised their hands, instead they just looked at other in confusion and doubt.

"Okay then." Rosiepuff replied trying a different motivational approach. "Whoever stays gets to babysit Branch while we are gone." The entire council raised their hands almost instantly this time. "That's more like it. We set sail at dawn, so get packing ladies and gentlemen."

Once the rest of the council left Peppy walked up to Rosiepuff who was still studying over the map. Peppy had been Rosiepuff's friend and second in command for a long time, he could tell when something was bothering her, even if she didn't say it out loud, and he had a feeling it was something more then just the dragons.

"You haven't said a word since your little battle plan Rosie." Peppy replied "Something bothering you?"

"Yes, it's called dragons attacking our tree for the half millionth time?"

"I mean besides the obvious dragons, it's about your grandson is it?"

"How can you tell?" Rosiepuff replied finally looking away from her map

"Rosie I have been your second in command ever since you was named Chief, and your friend for even longer. I can read your facial expressions like a book."

"You were always good with that type of stuff," Rosiepuff smiled before she sighed "I just don't understand how he could be so stubborn and arrogant, refusing to listen to the most simple of things even when it involves his on safety."

"Well where do you think he got it from? He does live with you after all."

"That's different Peppy, I have to be stubborn and arrogant as Chief of this tribe otherwise I can put the entire kingdom at risk. He is just stubborn because he refuses to understand that I have his safety in mind. And I sure didn't act so disrespectful to my elders when I was his age."

"Oh here we go she is going to go talking about when she was little again." Peppy said to himself rolling his eyes when Rosiepuff wasn't looking.

"You know Peppy when I was a little girl my father told me to go out and bang my head against a tree stump, and do you know what happened?"

"You got a headache," Peppy smarted off

"The tree stump snapped in two, that's when I realized just how tough I was and how tough I needed to be when I took over the tribe."

"You also found out just how hard headed you truly were." Peppy laughed.

"The point is Branch is nothing like that. I tell him to go out and collect sticks for the fireplace and he goes out looking for bergens."

"Bergens exist," Peppy replied "They'll gobble you up, but only one day a year." Peppy shrugged as he tried to figure out why that was.

"The point is Branch has a lot of potential to be a leader, but until he gets over his lack of respect towards me and his elders, and realize that he just isn't cut out to be a dragon killer and respect what the Cloud Guy chose of him, he will never be ready to take over the tribe when I'm gone."

"Maybe he can be." Peppy replied, he had a idea to straighten Branch up for good. "Listen, my daughter and a lot of her friends have just turned sixteen, which means it is time to train them how to be dragon killers. Branch is sixteen too, let him join in with my daughters in the dragon class, let him see what it truly takes to be a dragon killer."

"Peppy you know good and well why I can't do that, the Cloud Guy clearly..."

"Oh Rosiepuff you know Branch will never listen to that. If he could he would have by now. You really want to get through to him? Let me put him in the class, let him see just how tough it is to kill a dragon and why he isn't cut out for it. The class will only last three weeks and will be over shortly after you arrive back. I guarantee you, by the time the three weeks is over, Branch will never want to fight dragons again."

Rosiepuff thought it over, on one hand she was scared that Branch would get killed the second one of those dragons flew out of it's cage. The other part of her thought about what she had to lose. Branch practically ignored everything else. If Peppy could get through to him with this class, then maybe it would be all worth it.

"You promise me he won't get hurt in any way?"

"I will be right there watching over all of them. Branch won't get a scratch on him."

"Very well then." Rosiepuff said "I'll allow this, let me break the news to Branch."

 **Cloud Guy has been so much fun to write. Really adds in the type of humor this story needs. With Eden being so incredibly dark I am trying to make sure this story is a bit more on the lighter and humorous side. Although it will get more dramatic later like the actual movie.**


	4. Dragon training

**Happy day after Easter everybody. I don't know about the rest of the world but here in Oklahoma it was cold. Like thirty degrees cold. That's what happens when you have Easter on April Fools day I guess.**

 **Speaking of April fools did anybody pull any amazing tricks on your family and friends? I dipped some Brussels Sprouts in chocolate, put them on sticks and gave them to my brother and sister in law and passed them off as chocolate covered strawberries. It was so funny when they bit into them and discovered the truth. I'm actually surprised he didn't kill me.**

 **Tapdancing Giraf. Dude your review was probably the funniest I have read in a long time, thank you so much for that.**

 **Neomoon585 Yeah I know Cloud Guy can be a little hard to take seriously but I had to keep him in character in the movie because he was one of the best parts of the movie.**

Ever since Branch returned home all he did was bounce a small blue ball against the ceiling as he laid in bed thinking about the events he had just witnessed. Ever since he was old enough to walk all he was ever told was that dragons were evil, that they had no souls and would kill you if they got their hands on you. But this dragon had it's hands on Branch, and for some reason it spared him. Why? Why would a soulless demon spare his life when it could have killed him? After all the dragon had every right to end his life. Branch had it caught in his net and had a knife pointed at it intending to kill it. Why would the dragon spare the life of a troll that put them through something like that? Was it possible that dragons may not have been as bad as everyone said they were? Could it be that there was another side to them instead of just stealing crops and lighting building and trolls on fire? Branch didn't know what to think of them anymore but what he did know was that he needed to study that dragon more and get answers.

Branch's train of thought was interrupted when he heard a knock at his bedroom door.

"It's open." Branch responded as he continued to bounce his ball off the ceiling.

"Oh good your home." Rosiepuff replied as she walked into the room. "I have some news to share with you."

"What your finally retiring?" Branch smarted off.

"Your not that lucky yet boy." Rosiepuff responded "No after some hard thinking I have decided to give you what you want."

"Really," Branch replied as he turned to face his Grandma, not quite catching on. "Which is?"

"To fight dragons." Branch shot up in his bed in shock, the ball that he tossed at the ceiling hit him in the head as Branch remained frozen in disbelief.

"Say that again?"

"You get your wish, I am allowing you to fight dragons, your training starts tomorrow."

Branch was so shocked he completely forgot to tell his Grandma about the discovery he made with the dragon in the woods. Here he was, hearing his Grandmother who was probably the most stubborn troll in the history of stubborn trolls, telling him he could disregard what the Cloud Guy predicted of him and fight dragons. "But... but... how? What changed your mind, now of all times?"

"Well Branch you are sixteen, in two years you are going to be a full grown troll capable of making your own decisions. As much as I would like I can't stop you from fighting dragons if you want to. So I have arranged with Peppy to have you start training with the other dragon killers tomorrow. Training starts at seven A.M sharp. And I expect you to be there."

Branch just remained frozen in shock, his mouth hanging open and unable to speak as Rosiepuffs words sank him. Of just all his horrible luck, he no longer wanted to fight dragons and here his grandmother was signing him up for a dragon killing class. And what's worse he was in too much shock and disbelief to find the words to protest.

"I will take your stunned silence as a thank you." Rosiepuff replied "Now onto the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. I will leaving tomorrow at the crack of dawn to search for the dragons nest. I should be gone for only a few weeks. You will be fine by yourself till then right?"

Branch still stood frozen with his jaw on the floor.

"Well then." Rosiepuff replied, "It's all settled. Get some rest, I will be back in three weeks. Probably."

"And I will be here, maybe." Branch whimpered as Rosiepuff closed his bedroom door. When Rosiepuff was gone Branch let out a puppy dog whine "I'm dead."

"Welcome to dragon training." Peppy opened the gates to the dragon fighting arena the following morning. The arena looked and was shaped a lot like a gladiators arena, only instead of fighting two trolls to the death this arena was used for trolls fighting dragons to the death.

Despite his temptation to run as far away from the tree as possible Branch arrived to the training arena alongside Poppy, Satin, Chenille Biggie and Creek, who was also training to be dragon killers that day.

"No turning back," Poppy said as she was the first to walk into the arena, carrying her weapon of choice a ax, which she had been given ten years ago by her father to train with for the day she became a actual dragon killer. Now that her official training had began, with her ax by her side she was certain to finish top of the class and kill her first dragon in front of the entire tribe.

"I hope I get some serious burns." Satin said as she and Chenille walked in each carrying spears.

"I hope I get some scars in all the wrong areas." Chenille replied.

"Yeah a scar or two would be fun." Poppy responded

"I hope we survive." Branch whined, as he walked slowly into the arena. Not even bothering carrying a weapon as he knew he couldn't kill a dragon.

"Oh great who let him in?" Chenille replied

"This class is for actual dragon killers only." Satin added.

"Ah don't let them get to you." Biggie said walking up and patting him on the shoulder. Biggie was armed with a hammer. "The dragons only go for the most intimidating looking troll anyway. They will ignore you as they don't see you as a threat and instead go for someone like Creek. That will be your advantage over them."

"I really don't know if I should take that as a insult or not." Branch replied right before he heard his friends calling out after him.

"Branch I can't believe you are actually going through with this." Suki replied firmly, "After all the lectures you have received, after all the warnings and near deaths you have experienced you are still trying to be a dragon killer? Do you enjoy getting yourself in trouble and humiliating yourself? You've done bone headed stunts before but this is way to far even by your standards."

"I'm actually with Suki on this one Branch." Reby replied, but with more concern then firmness "Your going to get yourself killed out there Branch. Your not cut out for this type of work."

"Trust me I know, but my grandma was the one that signed me up for this."

"Well why didn't you try to talk her out of it?"

"Have you ever tried to talk my grandma out of anything? It's impossible."

Cooper and Guy Diamond walked up to Branch next, both bawling their eyes out.

"What's wrong with you two?" Branch asked

"We're going to miss you when you die." Cooper cried

"Rest in peace my friend." Guy Diamond sobbed. Reby and Suki rolled their eyes in embarrassment at the two of them.

Fuzzbert walked up next holding a piece of paper up for Branch to see. Branch took the paper out of Fuzzbert's hand and started to read it.

"I Branch having passed away by making a idiot out of myself leave my hairbrush in possession of my good friend Fuzzbert." Branch turned and glared at Fuzzbert "Seriously!?"

"Well he was going to ask for your bed but I had already called dibs on it." Smidge joined in

"Seriously?" Suki and Reby replied simultaneously.

"What? My current bed is old and uncomfortable."

"Thanks for the load of confidence guys." Branch growled in annoyance.

"Branch! Get over here now! We're starting!" Peppy yelled out. Branch turned around and joined the rest of the class, Branch's friends turned and walked off as the gate closed behind him. Guy Diamond and Cooper was still bawling their eyes out to the annoyance of Reby and Smidge was still talking about things of Branch's she might want when he died.

"Do you think he has any cloths in my side too? A lot of mine are starting to get holes in them."

"I really cannot believe you right now!" Suki scolded.

Back inside the arena Peppy was going over the class with the group and explaining the award for the one that finished top in the class. "The one who does the best will get the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire tribe."

"Branch already killed a Feathered Fury so does that kind of disqualify him?" Creek teased as the twins laughed. Creek was armed with a mace. Branch rolled his eyes as he picked up a ax from the weapons table. He had to have some sort of weapon with him in case one self defense.

"Now behind these doors are just a few of the many dragons your going to learn to face. The Home Wrecker."

"Speed eight, armor sixteen." Biggie replied

"The Troll Eater."

"Stealth times two."

The Monstrous Reaper."

"Fire power fifteen."

"The Rabid Horror."

"Attack five, venom twelve."

"WILL YOU STOP THAT?!" Peppy yelled annoyed, quickly calming down to announce the last dragon "And the Widowmaker

"Jaw strength eighty two." Biggie whispered in Branch's ear.

"Wait aren't you going to teach us first?" Creek started to panic when he saw Peppy starting to open the Widowmaker's cage.

"I believe in learning by doing." Peppy opened the cage and out flew the Widowmaker. It was a long and slender dragon with dark blew skin and a pitch black main and long thin black wings. It's blue skin was rough and lumpy, making a sword completely useless against it.

"Now not every weapon will work on every dragon!" Peppy replied as the teens ran in different directions to avoid the dragon's fire. "What weapon works best on a Widowmaker?"

"A mace?" Creek guested as he ran behind the weapons table

"A hammer." Biggie replied as he dodged a fire blast

"Correct,"

"Well what are you waiting for? Hand us a hammer!" The twins demanded as they hid behind a boulder.

"Uh, uh, uh, we ain't killing a dragon today remember?"

"Then why did you ask us then?" Creek cried as the dragon spotted him and shot fire at him causing Creek to run from behind the table

"I just wanted to know if you knew. Today's lesson however is on survival, if the dragon strikes you your dead."

"Wait? Like literally dead or fake dead?" Branch started to panic.

"Well that will depend on how well you follow my instructions." Peppy laughed "Now what's the first thing you need?"

"A doctor?" Branch cried

"Plus five speed?" Biggie asked nervous

"A shield." Poppy answered calmly

"Yes shield, if you have to decide on a hammer or a shield choose a shield, they will protect you from a dragon's blast. Now go get your shield." Everybody ran to grab themselves a shield. The twins both grabbed for the same shield, a green shield with flowers on it. Not wanting to share the shield they each started fighting for it, completely unaware of the dragon wrecking mayhem around them.

"Let go I saw it first." Chenille demanded

"That one next to you is blue, your blue that ones yours." Satin argued. Chenille ripped the shield out of Satin's hands and hit her over the head with it.

"Oops now it's red." Chenille laughed. It was right then that the Widowmaker flew up to them and blasted the shield blasting it in two and knocking them two the ground.

"Satin, Chenille your out." Peppy called out before turning to the other trolls "Those shields are good for another thing noise. Make lot's of it, it will throw off a dragons aim." All the teens started banging their shields trying to make as much noise as possible. The noise stunned the Widowmaker's vision, and made it blurry. "All dragon's have a limited number of shots before it needs to cool down. How many does a Widowmaker have?"

"Five?" Creek guested

"Eight!" Biggie replied

"Yes, the Widowmaker has already used three so by calculations he still has five. One for each of you.

It was right then that the Widowmaker blasted Biggie's shield eliminating him. Biggie ran off screaming as the Widowmaker started chasing him.

Branch hid behind the weapon's table as the Widowmaker fired a shot at him, missing. Peppy ordered Branch to get out there and stop being cowardly. "You ain't going to kill a dragon hiding like a coward, now get out there!"

Creek stopped banging on his shield and started flirting with Poppy when she rolled his way to get a better angle at the Widowmaker. Poppy paid him no mind as she rolled to her left when the Widowmaker fired a shot. The shot hit Creek's shield eliminating him.

Branch finally ran out from his hiding spot and joined Poppy in the middle of the arena.

"So looks like it is just you and me Poppy." Branch replied trying to sound brave and tough.

"Nope it's just you." Poppy rolled to her left again as the Widowmaker fired another shot, hitting Branch's shield and shattering it. The Widowmaker wasn't done though it chased after Branch and cornered him. Peppy yelled for him to grab a hammer and fight it off but Branch was too scared. The dragon was flying right towards him and was not stopping. The Widowmaker trapped Branch against the wall and started to open it's mouth to finish Branch off. But Peppy leaped on his back and turned the Widowmaker's head to the right as it fired it's eighth shot, hitting a wall.

"Get back in your cage you overgrown gecko." Peppy ordered, steering it to it's cage. With the Dragon safe in it's cage Peppy turned to Branch who was in a state of shock and hyperventilating and said loud enough for the whole class to here.

"Remember one thing, a dragon will always, _always_ go for the kill."


	5. Book of dragons

**So finally saw the series Finale of Race to the Edge yesterday. I know I am two months behind but I have been busy. That being said it was amazing and served as a perfect bridge behind HTTYD 1 and 2. Hope they make a new series that does the same thing for 2 and 3 because I can always use more dragons in my life.**

"So why didn't you?" Branch had made a sketch of the Feathered Fury as he walked back up to where he had last seen his dragon. He couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something was off with everyone's theory's about the dragons. Peppy said that a dragon always goes for the kill, but when the Feathered Fury had him cornered it let him go. That incident alone was enough to disprove Peppy's claim. Now he wanted to know if there was anything else about these dragons that they were wrong about.

Arriving in the grassy field that the dragon was in, Branch was astonished to see that the Feathered Fury was struggling to try to fly. Every few seconds the dragon would lift itself up in the air only to flap it's wings a couple times and fall back to the ground.

"Why don't you just fly away?" Branch asked confused. Branch looked back at his sketch and instantly noticed one thing wrong about his drawing. In the drawing the dragon had both sides of it's tail fin. But when Branch looked back at the dragon it was missing half of it's tail fin.

"Could that be what is making you unable to fly?"

After studying the dragon for about half a hour from a distance Branch went to Peppy's shop to start work. His shifts had been cut to shorter shifts for the time being due to his training but Peppy still had him working in the afternoon till closing. When he arrived he saw Guy Diamond handing Reby ten sheets of paper stapled together.

"Here I did just as you asked. In order for you to accept my apology I wrote "I am a stupid idiot," two hundred thousand times in Greek."

Reby took the stapled sheets and studied them over nodding to herself in the process. "This is only one hundred and ninety thousand times, and it's in French."

"What!?"

"Luckily for you I am in a good mood today and will let it slide, now no more using Priscilla feathers for decorating weapons."

"Understood."

"Good, now get to work before I tell Peppy your goofing off."

"Yes _mom._ "

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Good." Reby turned around when she heard the door open and her eyes widened when she saw Branch walk in.

"Oh Branch that the gods your alive."

"Aw..." Both Smidge and Fuzzbert whined, ripping up the list of Branch's things they wanted.

"Nice to see you didn't get yourself killed out there." Suki replied as she worked on stringing together a pair of bolas.

"What you didn't have faith in me?" Everybody scratched the back of their necks afraid to answer.

"So how did it go?" Cooper asked "Did you show that dragon who's boss? Did you have the other kids bowing at your feet saying "We're not worthy"?

"Well not exactly. Actually guys I'm thinking there is more to these dragons than I think people know."

"What do you mean?" Suki asked.

Branch didn't know if he was ready to tell about the mysterious dragon he was studying in the woods. So he just kept his response blunt.

"Well let's just say we haven't really taken the time to study them the way we should do to the fact that they are always attacking. There may be more out there that we don't know."

"Well duh?" Smidge replied "We don't even know were the nest is. That is why your grandmother left in the first place. To go find it."

"Dude, are you taking a fighting class or a animal science class?" Cooper said "Cause seriously what your saying is getting me all confused?"

"I'm confused myself Cooper. Honestly there is a lot about dragons that I don't know about."

"Well that's what your training is for." Guy Diamond replied patting Branch on the back "I bet by the time you finish training you'll be the best dragon killer in the world just like your grandma."

"Yeah Branch," Smidge agreed "I know we doubted you this morning, but we got your back now. And we are all rooting for you to succeed."

The others nodded in agreement, except Reby. With Branch's back turned Reby gave him a very disapproving scowl, she was not happy at all that Branch was learning to kill dragons. Being a animal lover she loved and respected all wildlife including the dragons. So to see her friend training to kill those creatures angered her to the soul. Her emotions rising she quickly picked up a bow she finished stringing and picked up a arrow to test it out. She pulled the string back hard and let the arrow fly hitting the mark dead center, nearly causing the target to break in the process.

"Whoa Reby take it easy on those target boards you know Peppy will make you pay for those if you break them," Branch replied. Reby just shoved Branch out of the way as she stormed out of the workshop taking the bow and a quiver of arrows with her. Branch and everybody else was left confused over Reby's sudden attitude change.

"Whoa, what has gotten under her skin?" Smidge asked confused.

Nearly one hundred miles west in the Pacific Ocean Rosiepuff led her the boats towards a group of caves that they thought be where the dragon's nest rested. As they sailed a thick sheet of fog suddenly clouded their vision and everything went quiet, to quiet for Rosiepuff's liking. She ordered everyone to grab their weapons and get ready, sensing a attack coming. Sure enough shortly after they grabbed their weapons a Monstrous Reaper flew at them from the fog and attacked. A few archers shot arrows at the beast, clipping one of it's wings. That just made the reaper angrier, it shot fire at the boat, the blast hit the water right next to them and sent the boat rocking, knocking a couple of the archer's overboard. One troll grabbed it's sword and climbed up to the ship's crow nest, trying to get as high of a advantage possible. Bad mistake, as the dragon flew toward the troll it grabbed the troll with it's talons before the troll even had time to swing and tossed the troll into the rocks. The impacts of the rocks crushed the troll on impact. Several more archers fired arrows at the reaper, but as the reaper lit itself on fire it shot out a gigantic wall of flames that disintegrated the arrows before any of the arrows reached him. The reaper started flapping it's wings hard while hovering in place, fire started flying out of it's wings and directly at the boats. Suddenly the ship's sail caught on fire and the fire quickly spread toward the crow's nest. After just a few seconds the entire crows nest collapsed and the fire spread to the entire boat. Rosiepuff ordered everyone to abandon ship, but right before she could the reaper shot one final blast at the boat that caused the boat to explode sending the passengers flying all different directions. Some hit the water unharmed, but others hit rocks that either caused them to die from the impact or get knocked unconsicos and sink into the ocean and drown. Roseipuff watched in horror as her ship sank to the bottom of the ocean in a ball of flames. But her horror quickly turned to anger and she swam to a rock, took out her sword and called toward the dragon.

"Come after me you devil!" The reaper flew towards Rosiepuff and opened it's mouth ready to fire, but Rosiepuff was ready and she threw her sword straight at the beast. The sword went into the reaper and pierced it's throat causing itself to get strangled and suffocate. The dragon quickly nose dived into the water, where it soon sank, never to surface. Rosiepuff let out a sigh of relief when the danger was over and sat on the rock to rest and catch her breath. She was soon joined by the rest of her surviving crew.

"What are we going to do now Rosiepuff?" One of Rosiepuff's crew asked. "How are we going to get back home?"

Despite Rosiepuff asking herself the same question Rosiepuff kept a calm expression. "We'll think of something, we're trolls, we don't give up, no matter the circumstances.

Back at the troll tree, with the shop shut down for the night Branch joined the rest of his dragon training class at Peppy's house where he had the class going over everything they did wrong in their first day of class.

"So, what did you two do wrong today Satin and Chenille?"

"Chenille wouldn't give me the shield that I had picked up first." Satin growled

"You may have picked it up first but I saw it first!" Chenille argued.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Enough!" Peppy yelled "This arguing is what you did wrong. You keep fighting among yourselves and you'll never be able to fight a dragon on the battle field because the second you start fighting with yourselves you will end up a troll sandwich, for a hungry dragon."

"Oh I could use a sandwich right now." Biggie thought, getting hungry.

"Seriously mate?" Creek replied in disgust.

"Anyway," Peppy continued a little confused over Biggie's statement. "What did you do wrong today Poppy?"

"I couldn't shake the dragon off of me. The Widowmaker saw everywhere I was going and was ready."

"Exactly," Peppy replied "If your going to survive a dragon's attack you need to make sure it can't see you. If you lose the element of surprise then it takes away your advantage and things can go south quickly.

Everybody heard the front door open and saw Branch slowly walk in and join the others in the living room.

"Now can somebody tell me what Branch did wrong today?"

"Um, he didn't die?" Satin replied

"He didn't get eaten?" Chenille added

"He is never where he is supposed to be." Poppy answered with a very disapproving look.

"Exactly." Peppy said "If you can't be trusted to be in where you are supposed to be where you are told then you can't be trusted in battle." Peppy took out a book from his hair and plopped it down on the living room table. "Here we have a book with everything we know about every dragon ever. Read up on them, study them, the more you know about these dragons, the better knowledge you will get on how to take them out."

"Wait reading?" The twins said "You mean like a actual book. Pass!"

"Oh I've read it like five times," Biggie replied excited "Like did you know that a Reaper can...?

"Yeah nobody cares Chubby." Creek smarted off "And why read anyway when you can just smash those dragons into oblivion." The twins and Creek got up and walked outside together with Biggie following behind them still trying to feed them information about dragons.

"Well it looks like it's just you and me then huh?" Branch replied setting next to Poppy on the couch as she was sipping on a cup of hot tea.

"I've read this book every night before I went to bed since I was six." Poppy replied "Trust me, you need to read it more then I do. A _lot_ more." Poppy then finished up her tea and walked up stairs to her room, leaving Branch to read the book alone.

"Thunderbolt." Branch read as he looked up the first dragon, a long slender dragon that shot out lighting. "This dangerous dragon comes out only during storms, his wings let out a loud thundering boom sound. Thunderbolts shoot lighting out instead of fire, electrocuting anything in their way. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight."

"Forest stalker." Branch turned to the next page to see a tall stick like dragon with sharp razor wings. "This dragon lives in the forest. They have razor sharp wings that can slice through even the thickest trees. When attacked they can fly up to speeds of sixty miles a hour. Extremely dangerous kill on sight."

Branch turned the page again to the next dragon. A water dwelling dragon that resembled the Lochness monster in shape "Scolding Monster,this monstrous dragon lives in the water and shoots boiling hot water at nearby sailors. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight."

Branch started flipping randomly through each page"Firebeast, Even newly hacthed offspring can shoot fiery acid at it's victims. Widowmaker, Troll eater, The Skrill, Boneknapper. The Booming Death. Burns it's victims, decapitates it's victims, dismembers it's victims, removes it's victims skin. Extremely dangerous, extremely dangerous, kill on sight kill on sight, kill on sight."

Finally Branch came to the page he was looking for, Feathered Fury. To his surprise however their was hardly information about it, there wasn't even a picture. "Feathered Fury, speed unknown, size unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, do not approach this dragon. Your only chance of survival, hide and pray it does not find you."

Branch took his picture of the Feathered Fury and sat in next to the book. He quickly sketched a drawing of the dragon into the book. "Well you ain't going to be unknown for too much longer my friend."

 **Black Raider if I have any grammar errors please let me know via PM.**


	6. A bond is formed

**So yesterday was a really great day for me. For one the teacher walkout ended hear in Oklahoma Thursday with the politicians meeting ninety five percent of the teachers demands, so the schools finally started back up yesterday, yeah! Two, we got my niece the cutest little bunny rabbit ever yesterday. I'd post a picture of the bunny here if I could but this ain't like Facebook sadly.**

 **Anyway this is the chapter I know you have all been waiting for. The Feathered Fury's name is finally revealed.**

"So I was noticing there was nothing about Feathered Fury's in the book." Branch asked the next morning during class. "Is there another book, perhaps a sequel?" It was right at that moment that a dragon was released out of it's cage and started shooting fire at the group.

"Focus Branch," Peppy yelled "Pay attention!"

The dragon today was a Home Wrecker. A blue dragon whose tails and legs were covered in spikes. The Home Wrecker shot spikes from it's tail at the group causing them to scatter like mice.

Peppy had set up the arena like a maze, putting up several walls for the students to hide behind for safety. The walls also played apart in the day's lesson.

"Today's lesson is on stealth. One of the best lessons to taking out a dragon is to remain hidden. If a dragon can't see you. It can't kill you. Your job today is to try to approach the dragon without it seeing you. If it see's you, your dead. Now Go!"

The student hid behing one of the many walls set up in the arena and waited for the Home Wrecker to turn it's head before attempting to move. Biggie was the first one to attempt to move. He slowly and quietly moved from his hiding spot... Only for the Home Wrecker to spot him instantly and shoot spikes out of his tail toward him. Biggie Screamed as he ducked behind his shield, the spikes hitting his shield.

"Biggie, your out!"

"I'm really starting to question your teaching method!" Biggie scolded.

"What? This way it's more entertaining. Would you rather be stuck in a boring classroom?"

"Yes!" Biggie yelled

"No!" Creek argued

"See, Creek likes my way better."

"I like it too." Cloud Guy suddenly said popping up out of nowhere next to Peppy holding a bag of popcorn.

"Where did you come from?"

"The sky." Cloud Guy munched on a handful of popcorn.

"Can I have some of that?" Peppy asked referring to the popcorn.

"Did you wash your hands?"

"Well no."

"You may have only one kernel." Cloud Guy said holding out the popcorn bag. Once Peppy had his popcorn kernel he turned his attention back to the students.

"Now each dragon has a blind spot. For extra credit today, see if you can find the dragon's blind spot without being spotted yourself."

Satin and Chenille ran out from their hiding spot and up to the dragon. When the dragon turned it's head Satin and Chenille froze in place and held their breath hoping that the dragon wouldn't see them and that they were in it's blind spot. The dragon stared in their direction and sniffed the air, hoping it could find them. As the two twins remained still, suddenly Chenille started smelling something of her own.

"Ugh, did you not bathe this morning?"

"You should know, considering your stuck to me and all!"

"That's it! I'm going to...!" It was right then that the dragon spotted them and shot fire at their direction. The two twins screamed, dropped their shields and ran towards the exit, the seat of their pants on fire due to the dragons attack.

"Now that, was just utterly pathetic." Peppy face palmed.

"Man, this is always my favorite time of the year" Cloud Guy laughed as he munched on his popcorn.

"So how would one sneak up on a Feathered Fury?" Branch asked as he moved out of his hiding spot.

"No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale NOW GET BACK TO YOUR SPOT!"

"Okay Okay," Branch put his hands up in defense, "I was just asking hypothetically."

"Ugh, do you want to fail this class and become dragon food?" Peppy scolded.

Branch was suddenly drug by the shoulders to the next wall by Peppy, who was giving him the biggest death glare he had ever received by somebody other then his grandmother

"Quite!" Poppy scolded with a harsh whisper "Or your going to get us all killed!"

With Poppy leading the rest of the pack, she did a forward somersault over to the next wall, followed by Creek, then Branch. Only Branch stopped halfway due to his shield weighing him down. The sound of the shield hitting the stone ground got the dragon's attention and it turned to spot Branch. Peppy facepalmed and shook his head in disgust as the dragon started charging Branch. Cloud Guy just chuckled and munched on his popcorn some more.

As Branch ran from the dragon, the dragon started knocking over wall after wall, trashing the arena in the process.

"Don't worry Poppy, I will be the hero today and save the day!" Creek boasted in a flirting way. He threw his mace at the dragon, only for it to completely miss and catch the dragon's attention.

"The sun was in my eyes!" Creek protested when Poppy gave him a glare "What do you want me to do block out the sun?" The two of them instantly ran as the dragon chased after them as well.

"Go for the exits, hurry!" Peppy ordered everyone

"This is the best dragon training class I've witnessed since the class of 1945," Cloud Guy laughed. Peppy rushed to open the gates, Branch was the first one out, followed closely by Poppy and Creek. With the last student out Peppy quickly closed the gates just as the dragon reached the exit, smashing it's head on the gates metal bars.

"That's enough for the day," Peppy panted as everybody stopped to catch their breath from the excitement . "We will move on to the next lesson tomorrow."

"Ugh, I need something to eat." Biggie whined as he walked off followed by Creek and the twins. Branch tried to make a hasty exit, but he quickly was grabbed by the shoulders and slammed against the gate by a very, _very_ angry Poppy.

"Is this a joke to you?"

"Poppy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for all of this..."

"Zip it!" Poppy snapped "You ruined everything today because of your lack of common sense and focus. You are not a dragon killer and you will _never_ be one until you learn to focus and pay attention for once in your life. Our parents war is about to be ours. If you are on our side then start acting like it!"

Poppy stormed off, leaving Branch hanging his head in guilt. Why did his grandmother sign him up for this? He knew he didn't have it in him to kill these dragons like the others. But why was it so hard for him to even make through a class without messing everything up.

Meanwhile out in the woods Reby had set up five targets for her to shoot her arrows at. She still hadn't gotten over her anger from yesterday. Ever since she was a little girl she had a love for all living things, even dragons. Her parents were respected dragon killers and it pained them that Reby wouldn't follow in her long family traditions of dragon killing. Reby's love for dragons only injured her relationship with them more and at the age of thirteen she left home and lived with Suki just because she couldn't handle the constant arguments. As a result she had a hard time getting along with any dragon killers and only hung out with trolls that were deemed non dragon killers. So to see Branch, one of her closest friends training with those dragon killers, she ended up feeling betrayed. She never had many friends growing up due to her love for dragons, her friends in the shop was all she had. Seeing Branch with those dragon killers, it made her felt hurt more then it made her feel angry because she felt she was going to lose one of the few friends she had.

As she shot her arrows toward each target, hitting the bullseye each time she suddenly noticed off in the distance Branch walking into off towards a different part of the woods. Curious to what Branch was up to Reby followed after him, staying far enough to not be noticed and startle him. Reby crouched behind a set of rocks and watched as Branch walked toward a dragon. Fearing that Branch was going to start attacking that dragon Reby pulled a arrow out and loaded it, ready to shoot Branch in the back of the leg if she had to. To her surprise and relief though Branch didn't draw a weapon. Instead, as the dragon walked closer to Branch, he held out a beetle that he caught.

Branch had continued to study everything he could about the dragon the past couple a days and there was a couple things he noticed to things about this Feathered Fury over the past two days. One, it was a female dragon, Branch was a little embarrassed to how he figured that out but he quickly got over it. Two, the Feathered Fury loved bugs, especially beetles. So when Branch was finally ready to approach the Feathered Fury again he brought a beetle with him and tossed it at the dragon's feet. The dragon walked up to the beetle slowly and sniffed it, only to suddenly take a step back and growl at Branch's direction. Branch instantly knew the reason too, his dagger. The same one that he was almost willing to kill the dragon with a few days back too. Branch easily reached for his dagger, causing the dragon to growl and take more steps back. Reby watching the whole thing unfold clinched tightly to her bow ready to go if Branch decided to use that dagger.

"Please don't make me use this Branch." Reby whispered to herself.

Branch took two steps back, slowly took the dagger out of it's sheath and tossed it to the ground. Reby took a deep sigh of relief when Branch kicked it to the pond. The dragon relaxed to and actually set down and ate it's beetle with no problems. Once the beetle was eaten the dragon ran to the pond and sat down, getting itself a quick drink. Wanting to know more about this dragon Branch followed and sat down close to the dragon. The dragon for some reason didn't even seem to care that Branch was sitting close to it. As the two sat near the lake in silence suddenly the dragon started whistling a tune, like a song bird. Branch was amazed, he thought the only sound a dragon made was growls, but hear this Feathered Fury was, completely calm and relaxed, whistling a happy tune.

"Hmm, that's a nice melody," Branch replied, before deciding on something. "Wait Melody? That's what I'll call you. You like that name?" The Feathered Fury just shrugged like "Whatever" as she went back to her whistling.

From her hiding spot, Reby watched as Branch relaxed with his dragon, now named Melody. Reby Obviously had a lot of questions she wanted to ask Branch. One, where did this dragon come from? Two, how did he find it? And three, why is he secretly making friends with a dragon while taking classes on how to kill them? For the time being however she just decided to stay put and not say anything. She didn't know why Branch was doing all these things but she could tell he wasn't going to hurt this dragon, if he was he would do it by now. Smiling Reby loaded her bow and put her arrow back in it's quiver and walked off. Happy to know that Branch wasn't a threat to these dragons.

Branch didn't know why, but he wanted to test his limits with Melody, he wanted to know if she trusted him enough to let him pet her. Reaching his hand out, he reached for Melody's forehead, only for Melody to growl and walk away. Not wanting to give up Branch followed after Melody, up until she got up in a tree.

Giving up for the time being Branch sat down by the lake alone and just studied her from a distance. Eventually Branch was starting to get a little hungry so he built himself a spear and caught himself a fish from the lake, building himself a little campfire and roasted the fish on the spear. As Branch ate the fish he started drawing Melody's face in the dirt, making sure to get every detail from it's eyes to it's nose, spot on.

The warmth from the fire, as well as the light caught the eyes of Melody and she decided to come down from her tree and investigate. Melody poked her head over Branch's shoulder to see him drawing a picture of her in the dirt.

"What do you think?" Branch asked "Does it match you pretty good? Melody tilted her head to the right studying the picture and then ran off, only to come back two seconds later with a stick of her own. She drug the stick around in the dirt, making twirls and crooked lines as she _tried_ to draw Branch. The finished project looked nothing like Branch but he gave her points for trying, being a dragon and all. Trying to get out of the drawing to get a better look Branch took a step forward, only to hear Melody growl. Branch looked down and saw that his foot was on one of the lines, apparently Melody didn't want Branch to accidentally mess up her drawing. Ever so carefully Branch stepped over each line, being sure not to step on a single line, before he knew it he was face to face again with Melody. Wanting to try again to bond a trust with her, Branch lifted his hand up. Melody started to growl and flinch again but Branch looked her in the eyes with a look that read _"Trust me"_ Branch then turned his head and allowed Melody to be the one to that allowed him to pet her. After a couple seconds Branch felt the feathers of Melody's forehead press against his hand, confirming a bond of trust, and most importantly friendship.


	7. A new tail fin

**Sorry that this is a shorter chapter, with my birthday being tomorrow I wanted to get this up today because I won't have any time to write tomorrow. What with the birthday cake and presents tomorrow. I'll be twenty six in case your wondering, yeah I'm really old to be on this website.**

"And this is a picture of Poppy when she was just three playing in the bathtub."

"Dad!"

Peppy had the class meet in his backyard roasting marshmallow's at the campfire. Peppy couldn't resist taking a opportunity to show of some pictures of Poppy's childhood, much to Poppy's embarrassment.

"And here is a picture of her at six wearing her favorite princess dress and tiara while dancing with her imaginary friend. What was his name again? Tapdancing Giraf I think?"

"DAD!"

The twins, Creek, and Biggie burst out laughing as Poppy's face was getting redder and redder.

"Can I buy that picture off of you?" Creek laughed "I will literally pay you a hundred dollars."

"Screw that, my mom keeps her entire life savings under her mattress," Satin laughed. "I will totally steal it and by that photo off of you."

"Okay dad that's enough please!" Poppy whined

"Ah but my favorite one is probably when Poppy was just one years old." Peppy continued ignoring his daughters pleas "She still hadn't learned to walk yet but somehow was able to take off her diaper and came crawling into the living room butt naked while dragging her bottle in her mouth." Peppy showed the group the picture. Everybody roared in laughter at the picture of one year old Poppy crawling on the floor in the nude. Poppy buried her head in her hands in embarrassment.

"Okay Poppy, you have the cutest butt I have ever seen." Satin laughed while pointing at Poppy. At that remark Poppy picked up a walnut off the ground, stuck it in Satin's mouth bopped Satin over the head cracking the shell, and held out her hand as the nut pieces fell in her hands, as well as one of Satin's tooth. Poppy jabbed the tooth back in as she put the walnut pieces in her mouth while Chenille started laughing at her twin sister's expense.

"Man Peppy, you are the most awesome person in this whole tribe." Creek said while finally calming his laughing. "I am so going to be like you when I grow up. Tough, handsome, snarky, and able to rip off the arms and legs of every dragon that you run into."

"Ah but it is the wings and tails you want to aim for." Peppy corrected. "Without it's wings and tail fins it can't fly away. A grounded dragon is a dead dragon."

Those last few words caught Branch's attention, who had been very quite the whole conversation barring a few soft snickers at Poppy's baby pictures. No wonder Melody couldn't fly away, she was missing half of her tail fin. Branch had to get a new one for her somehow. And as quickly as possible. He couldn't let Melody die, he just now won her trust over. Finishing off one last roasted marshmallow Branch got up and left without saying a word. But not without catching the attention of Poppy. Poppy was curios why Branch suddenly walked away without saying anything. During class earlier he wouldn't shut up about a dragon nobody had seen, and now he doesn't say a single thing during a bonding session and leaves early? Branch was often times the last one too leave. Something odd was definitely going on with Branch, Poppy just couldn't put her finger quite on it.

"Hey when did you two get tattoos?" Poppy's train of thought was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Biggie's voice.

"Seriously Biggie?" Satin asked in shock "How the heck have you not noticed are tattoos by now?"

"I seem to not really look at girls that much?"

"And what is wrong with looking at girls?" Poppy asked offended

"Well you know..." Biggie started twitching in embarrassment. "I don't want them to get the wrong impression or anything."

"Seriously?" Everybody including Peppy replied

"Yeah, they might think I am I in love with them when I'm not." Everybody just stared in silent at Biggie for a few seconds not knowing what to say.

"See _this,_ is why your the least popular member of our class." Satin finally spoke up.

Branch started collecting material to start building Melody's artificial fin. He started by collecting some leather thick enough to protect Melody but still thin enough to help her fly. He then collected some sticks, rope and other material to tie everything together when the project was finished. The last thing he needed was some feathers, and he knew just where to get some too.

Branch started at Cooper's place, Branch remembered Guy Diamond saying that he decorated some of Cooper's hats with Priscilla's feathers so if he could collect those then that would give him some feathers to start with. Running as fast as his legs could take him Branch arrived to Cooper's house and sneaked through Coopers open bedroom window. Branch remained as quite as possible as he searched through Coopers room for his hat. Branch could hear Cooper in the bathroom singing while taking a shower.

" _I got this feeling, inside my bones, it goes electric wavy when I turn it on!"_

Branch cringed at hearing Cooper's pathetic attempt at singing but as long as he was entertaining himself in the shower he wouldn't hear Branch rummage through his stuff. Branch opened Coopers closet and saw row after row of hats of all different sizes and color, sure enough, half of them was covered in Priscilla's feathers. Ever so carefully so not to damage them Branch took hat after hat and removed each feather placing them in a brown paper bag for easy transportation. After a good twenty minutes, and a "Thank you lord that Cooper took long showers" Branch removed the last hat feather and sneaked out the same bedroom window that he came in.

One minute later Cooper walked in humming to himself, one towel around his torso and another one wrapped around his head. Cooper froze and his jaw fell to the floor when he saw his closet door opened and his hats scattered across the floor.

"Ah man did the rats get in my closet again? MOM!"

The next day after class Branch ran to Peppy's workshop to gather whatever feathers Priscilla had scattered on the floor that day. When he arrived he saw most of his friends there working on different weapons.

"Hay Branch, right on time!" Smidge replied, finishing sharpening a ax "Can you polish this ax for me?"

Oh sorry," Branch replied nervously "I'm kind of busy right now."

"Busy?" Smidge asked confused "You just walked in here man!"

"Yeah but... I'm kinda working on a project right now." Branch was a little nervous about explaining exactly what he was up to. He still didn't know how everybody else would take Branch trying to tame a wild dragon.

"Oh what type of project?" Smidge asked curios.

"It... a secret." Branch laughed nervously before running off. Smidge just shook her head in disbelief

"Seriously Branch will you ever stop being weird?"

In the back room of Peppy's shop Priscilla sat in her cage pruning her feathers. Branch saw several feathers laying on the ground, just enough for him to finish his project. Sweeping them up in his bag Branch tied the bag and ran as fast as he could to his house to get started. Branch stayed up all night working on his project. He had to make sure that every little detail was right otherwise he could risk hurting Melody. By the time everything was finished Melody's new tail was the exact same shape, size and weight of a dragon's regular tail fin. Now he just hoped it would work.

Branch left early in the morning, a good three hours before dragon training class was supposed to begin. Despite it being dark, and the fact that Branch had not gotten a wink of sleep, Branch wanted to to see if his new tail fin was a success before he went to training. As he walked to the woods using a lantern to light his way Branch picked up every bug he could find for Melody to eat while he installed her tail. Branch had nearly a entire bag full by the time he reached Melody, who was asleep but awakened at the sign of Branch approaching her.

"Hey there Melody, hope your in the mood for a late night snack." Branch dropped the bag of bugs to present to Melody. "I got beetles, crickets grasshoppers and one nice slimy snail." Melody growled at the sight of the snail "Oh you don't like snails? Yeah, I'm not much of a snail person either. As a matter of fact I hate escargot. Anyway you enjoy your snack and I will be over here. Branch ran to the back of Melody's tail and started working on attaching the new tail. Melody wolfed the entire bag down in a matter of seconds as she finished she felt something strange happening behind her, she was finding the feeling to fly again. Branch didn't see Melody spread her wings as he finished attaching the tail fin, and before he knew it Melody took to the skies with Branch clinging onto Melody's tail for dear life.

"Whoa, how do you steer this thing!" Branch cried closing his eyes in fear as Melody sped through the jungle. Eventually though Melody stopped, hitting a hill head on and crashing into a pond.

"Ow," Branch whined, picking himself off the floor. Branch checked to see if Melody was okay and sighed in relief when he saw her walking out of the lake. "Okay, we will work on flight another day."

 **So I'm just going to take this time to drop a hint of what my next adaption will be after this. It's going to be based off of a video game that came out in 2016. That's all the information I'm giving write now, more hints to come.**


	8. First flight

**Thanks for all the Birthday wishes last chapter. It was a fun Birthday. I got a camcorder from my parents as well as a collection of Golden age era Batman comics, reprints of course.**

 **Sorry I didn't update last week. I started a new story and so fell behind updating my other works.**

 **Oh and you might want to listen to "Test Drive" from the How to train your Dragon soundtrack later on in this chapter. You will understand in a little bit. It will make this chapter so much better.**

"Today's dragon is the Troll Eater" Peppy lifted a door to release a green two headed troll with six legs, and two tails. "These two headed freaks of nature our particularly tricky, one head shoots out fire, the other lighting. Your job is to find which head shoots out fire and throw a bucket of water in their mouth. If you can put out it's fire it will make the other head useless. Please don't ask me why that is, I still don't know the answer my own self."

All the trolls ran to get buckets to use against the Troll Eater. As usual Satin and Chenille grabbed the same bucket and started fighting over it, causing the dragon to shoot lightning at the two of them destroying the bucket. Satin and Chenille ran off screaming again.

"You know I'm starting to wonder if your either suicidal or just plain stupid." Peppy replied witnessing the twins pathetic display.

The trolls surrounded the Troll Eater ready to put out it's flames when suddenly a thick fog suddenly came out of the Troll Eater's scales blinding the trolls vision.

"Oh did I forget to mention that the Troll Eater can also create a fog?"

"Yeah that information could have really been useful two minutes ago!" Creek yelled, right before he got whipped in the back of the head with the one of the dragon's two tails.

"Oh I am hurt! I am seriously hurt!"

"So is there anyway to get rid of the fog?" Biggie asked starting to get really, _really_ nervous.

"It will go away in a couple of minutes, just enough time to track each and every one of you down and turn you all into troll kabobs."

The mention of becoming a dragons meal caused Biggie to scream and turn around and toss his water at the first shadow he saw come up behind him. Unfortunately the shadow ended up being one very upset Poppy, who dropped her bucket and grabbed Biggie by his collar ready to throttle him. Poppy would have have hurt him too if she didn't suddenly see one of the heads of the Troll Eater popping out of the fog. Fear running threw her spine Poppy took out a dagger ready to use it against the Troll Eater before it attacked.

"Hey over hear!" Poppy suddenly heard Branch call out. "Your mother was a salamander." The troll eater suddenly turned around and walked slowly toward Branch, who stood firm right in the middle of the arena.

"Branch what are you doing get out of there?" Poppy screamed

"Branch move!" Peppy screamed from outside the arena. With Branch refusing to move, and the Troll Eater getting closer Peppy ran to the front gate and started raising it ready to rescue Branch from that monster.  
However once he lifted the gate and ran inside he saw the dragon backing up, the Troll Eater was backing away from Branch in fear straight towards it's cage.

"Yeah you better back off you naughty naughty reptile," Branch said "What is it going to take for you to learn not to try to murder me and my friends?" The Troll Eater backed up in it's cage and crouched in a far corner as Branch took out a snail and placed it in the dragon's cage as he locked the door. "Now stay in your cage for a while and think about what you did."

Branch turned around and saw everybody From Peppy and Poppy to the rest of the students just standing frozen in shock. There eyes wide and their jaws to the ground completely speechless, not able to respond to what they just witnessed.

"Well, see you tomorrow?" Branch then ran off, leaving the rest of the class confused over what they just witnessed.

"Okay anybody want to explain what the hair just happened?" Poppy responded to the others after finding the urge to finally speak.

The next week Branch spent all his free time hanging out with Melody and working on more ways to train her. He built a saddle for her, hoping she would take to it. But Melody would have nothing of it, she ran around the forest causing Branch to chase after her. After a good five minutes Branch finally tackled her and put the saddle on her. He then tried to use the saddle to try to get Melody to fly, with him on her of course. She made it about ten feet and two feet off the ground before they splashed into the ocean. Branch refused to give up though he kept making adjustments to the saddle, including adding ropes to help steer her, but they still couldn't keep Melody in the air however.

As Branch worked on trying to get Melody to fly he _did_ discover some new things that dragons liked. One day when he brought Melody the latest saddle he saw her rolling in the grass, her tongue hanging out like a dog as if she was in a daze. Branch used that grass the next day in class, taming a Widow Maker by sticking the grass up to her to sniff. The Widow Maker fell in a daze and relaxed and calm on the ground.

Branch's sudden transformation in the rink definitely caught everybody's attention. Suddenly he was the talk of the town and the star of the class. The classmates that use to harass him and scorn him for his failures suddenly wanted to hang out with him and be his friend. Branch always managed to slip away each time, often making excuses that he left something behind. One Troll though that wasn't fond of Branch's sudden popularity was Poppy. She didn't know how the worst student in the class, the _non_ dragon killer, the only one in the class not chosen at birth to train dragons, and showed absolutely no ability ever in his life to kill dragons suddenly rose to the top of the class. She knew Branch was up to something, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She wasn't the only one bummed out by Branch's sudden stardom. Ever since Branch became the star of the class he had been abandoning the workshop. Leaving his friends to do the extra work he was supposed to do. Reby knew why he was not showing up and she was trying hard to keep Branch's secret and not let everybody know what he was up to out of fear of retaliation. But the more she heard her friends gripe about Branch not being around anymore, and how unfair that they had to do all of his work, it made it harder and harder for Reby to keep his secret. If she was being honest with herself, she was starting to get a little peeved at Branch no longer being around too, he still had a job to do, and the longer he spent time with that dragon, and the longer he abandoned his friends, the more she started finding herself agreeing with all the negative things the others, mainly Smidge, was saying about Branch.

Branch's popularity kept growing the more he spent training Melody, the more things he discovered that she liked, the more he used those in the ring, such as finding out that dragons like their neck's scratched. One day after another failed flying attempt Branch started scratching Melody on the neck and she rolled over on her back so he could scratch the bottom of her necks well. Branch then used that same trick on a Home Wrecker the following day.

"Meet the Rabid horror." Peppy said the following day bringing a dragon that was the size of a beetle outside. Creek just looked at the dragon weirdly and laughed.

"Owe how cute, he's like a little..." The Rabid Horror leaped on Creeks face and started biting his nose. "Ah I am hurt I am very much hurt!" The twins just started busting out laughing. Branch used a small mirror to cause a small bright light for the Rabid Horror to chase back in his cage. The technique was just the latest trick that Branch learned when studying Melody. Once again the rest of the class was left amazed.

"Wow, he is better then even you Poppy." Creek said as he got up rubbing his sore nose. Those words stabbed Poppy to the core. No he couldn't be better then her could he? Not this loser? She had to just train harder, more aggressive, she had to make sure she won that honor to kill her first dragon in front of the whole tribe.

Finally after studying all his failed attempts, and making key adjustments to Melody's tail and saddle, Branch was confident that they were finally going to succeed in flying together. Melody and Branch stood at the edge of a cliff, the wind was blowing hard that day and Branch was already feeling butterflies in his stomach. Maybe they should have practiced a little closer to the ground? No, if Melody was ever going to fly properly again then they had to be as high up as possible, that way she would be motivated and had a life or death reason to succeed. That didn't stop the butterflies though.

"Okay girl we are going to take this nice and slow." Branch encouraged, patting Melody on the cheek. "You ready?" Melody chirped giving Branch the signal, "Then let's go!" Melody then dived off the cliff, Branch pulled a rope on the saddle that activated Melody's tail fin and before they both knew it Melody's wings were straight and horizontal and they were flying in the air.  
"We... We're doing it." Branch said excited when seeing how smoothly they were flying. Melody didn't even look the slightest bit nervous. "Yeah baby! Whoo! I knew you could do it girl." Melody let out a happy chirp. "Okay let's see what else we can do. Melody, dive!" Melody then made a nose dive toward the water "Okay girl let's do this, easy now, easy!" Melody straightened up and flew just five inches above the water, she tilted at a small angle to were her wing grazed the water.

"Yes good girl, I think we are getting the hang of this." It was right then that they bumped into a rock at the edge of the river, luckily they were able to stay air born and didn't crash. "Oops sorry girl that was my fault." Melody gave him a quick but light slap for nearly causing them to crash. "Yeah yeah I know, I'm supposed to steer you. Okay Melody go up." Melody flew up above the clouds. Branch rubbed his fingers through the clouds in amazement as he stared below at his home. The troll tree, as well as the surrounding troll village had never looked so beautiful before. He never really appreciated how pretty his home really was until he saw it from above the clouds.

Right then a large gush of wind blew Branch off of Melody and sent both of them falling toward the unforgiving ground below.

"Whoa Melody hurry, get below me, now!" Despite not flown with her new tail without Branch, Melody was able to use a nose dive and fly herself right below where Branch was falling to allow him to sit land right on him. Branch then grabbed the ropes on the saddle and position themselves straight again, racing just above the water at high such a high speed the wind was whistling as the past.

"YEAH BABY!" Branch cheered, Melody let out a loud cheering chirp as well. "Now lets land girl, I think we proved ourselves enough today."

After they both landed safely Branch gathered some beetles for Melody to eat while he built himself a nice campfire and caught himself a fish in the lake for himself.

"You did such a great job today girl," Branch comforted patting Melody on the back as he cooked his fish. "I'm so proud of you." Melody gave Branch a look and Branch immediately knew what she was saying. "Your right girl, today was a team effort, no one individual takes all the credit today."

A small group of Rabid Horrors came running up to the duo, attracted to the beetles Melody was eating. Getting in defense mode Melody growled and started clutching her meal close to her. One of the Horrors ran up to the pile of beetles and snatched one from the stack, Melody instantly snatched it back and swallowed it in one bite. Angry the Horror opened his mouth ready to fire, only for Melody to fire a quicker shot right into it's mouth. The Horror instantly started coughing in wheezing, catching Branch's attention.

"Not so fireproof on the inside are we?" Branch laughed. Branch got up from his fire and caught a lightning bug for the Horror. "Here hope you like." The Rabid Horror's face lit up in excitement and instantly wolfed down the bug. The Horror then curled up next to Branch and started purring as it fell to sleep. Branch was amazed by just how calm and tamed these dragons really could be.

"Everything we know about you guys are wrong."

 **Here's a couple more hints for my next adaption since nobody got it.**

 **It is a team based multiplayer first person shooter game. And won multiple game of the year awards.**


	9. Branch's friends learn the truth

**So guess who just got some tickets to see Justin Timberlake in concert in Oklahoma City in January? This guy! You may now all be jealous of me.**

"Gee it sure is lonely without Branch here" Guy Diamond griped. Branch hadn't shown up at the shop for days now, and the rest of his friends had enough. They were forced to stay late at the shop to do the work that Branch was originally scheduled to do. But since he rarely if ever showed up to work they were left doing everything.

"Seriously." Smidge growled "I have a mind to shave him bald, tie him to a metal pole and leave him there for the birds!"

"Or tie him naked to a cactus." Suki added "If I knew that Branch becoming a celebrity would mean he would forget all about us I would have been more aggressive on him giving up."

Reby had not said a word about Branch since discovering his secret. She had tried her best to keep his secret but that was getting harder and harder the angrier Branch's friends got toward him. Reby often tried to drown out her friends gripes by shooting arrows at the targets across the shop, which she had been doing a lot the past few days. The more concerned she got about him, and the more vocal her friends got about their current feelings toward Branch, the more arrows she fired.

"Dudes I use to get annoyed when all he would do was gripe about how unfair life is and how he wishes to be a dragon killer" Cooper added "But now that he got his wish, I seriously preferred his griping, because this sucks man. I'm having to polish thirty his swords, sharpen his arrows, and tie the heads of the axes to its sticks, on top of all the work that _I_ am supposed to be doing!"

Reby shot another arrow.

"What's he even doing anyway?" Suki asked "Class is over usually by two. He still has plenty of time to get his work done.

Fuzzbert made a garble noise.

"No Fuzzbert I doubt he has found himself a girlfriend." Suki responded.

"Maybe he just has no more need for us now that he is a massive celebrity." Smidge growled

Reby shot a arrow out of her bow so hard it caused the target to split in two.

"Dang it Reby, we have enough work here already without you destroying things!" Smidge growled

"Sorry I get a little carried away with my archery when I'm concerned about someone."

"Who Branch?" Smidge scoffed "Oh I'm sure he is just fine, signing autographs, and hanging out with his NEW friends while bragging about how great he is."

"Now Smidge I'm sure there is a logical explanation for why Branch is not here."

"Yeah right."

 _SQUAWK! Branch sucks! Branch abandoned his friends, SQUAWK!_

"See even the bird takes my side."

"Et to Priscilla?" Reby whined

"Why don't we march to his house and demand answers about his absents?" Suki suggested

"Yeah I like that idea" Smidge replied "I am in the mood for giving that jerk a piece of my mind."

"If he's even home," Cooper added as they all left and started marching toward Branch's house. Sighing Reby just hung her head low and followed after them.

"Oh Branch why did you have to completely ignore us?"

Branch was just stepping out of the door when he saw his friends waiting for him, their arms crossed and glaring at him.

"Oh hey guys."

"And just were do you think you are going?" Smidge growled

"Um?"

"And what is that in your hand?" Guy Diamond asked

"Oh this? It's a saddle."

"Dude if you're planning on putting that thing on me there is going to be trouble." Cooper replied

"What? No, this is for um..." Branch was starting to stutter as he tried to figure out how he was going to explain this to his friends. "For a project that I am working on."

"The same one with Priscilla's feathers?" Smidge asked suspiciously

"Yeah that's the one."

"You are using Priscilla's feathers?" Reby gasped, starting to get a little peeved herself.

"Hah, now _your_ going to be the one getting in trouble with her!" Guy Diamond laughed

"Oh don't worry it's not for anything bad like a sword, it's for a um..."

"For what?" Suki said crossing her arms. "Branch you haven't shown up at work at all for _days_! What could be so important that you completely abandon us?"

"Abandon you, I haven't abandoned you?"

"Um, what part of _you haven't been to work in days_ did you not catch?" Guy Diamond responded "We have been having to work overtime, and stay late at the shop doing _your_ work because you wouldn't show up!"

"What?" It then suddenly snapped on Branch, he _had_ abandoned his duties at the shop. He had been so focuses on training Melody that he completely forgot he had a duty to do back in the Troll tree as well. "Oh my gah I am so sorry guys. I got so distracted that I completely forgot about you guys. I am a horrible friend."

"Yes you are." Smidge growled

"Branch, what is that that has forced you to completely forget about us?" Suki asked "We are your friends, the only ones you have in the whole tribe. You shouldn't keep secrets from us, you also shouldn't abandon and ignore us."

Branch closed his eyes and gave a defeated sigh. There was no way to keep this from them now, not if he wanted to keep what friends he had. He still had no way on knowing just how he was going to explain his pet dragon to them, nor did he know just how they were going to react to it. Still if he didn't tell the truth to them now, he would surely lose his friends forever. "If I tell you, you must promise you won't freak out."

"Why would we freak out?" Suki asked confused.

"Just promise not to freak out okay."

Branch then led his friends towards the forest, Guy Diamond turned to Cooper and whispered in his ear. "The fact that he said don't freak out is already making me freak out" Cooper just nodded in agreement.

"Branch why are you leading us deep into the forest?" Smidge asked a few minutes later.

"Man I feel like I'm being led to my final resting place," Cooper whined.

"Seriously?" Branch turned around "I ain't dragging you out here to kill you!"

Fuzzbert released some garbles toward Coopers direction.

"Okay Fuzzbert there is no reason to call Cooper names no matter how dumb his comment was." Reby replied" Fuzzbert released a few more garbles "Hey there is no need for language like that!"

"Okay wait here," Branch replied "I'm going to go ahead and... prepare... my project for you guys."

"Oh no," Guy Diamond responded angrily, shoving Branch to the side and going ahead of him. "Whatever you are going we are going with you..." Guy Diamond brushed passed the bush and froze in terror at what he saw "too?"

"Oh dear." Branch whined

"Guy Diamond what is it?" Cooper ran up too his frozen friend and he too froze in terror at what he saw. Laying just a few feet in front of them was a dragon, a Feathered Fury to be exact. The sound of brush caught the dragons attention and turned her head expecting to see Branch, only to see he wasn't there but instead to trolls she had never seen before. Soon the two horrified trolls were joined by the rest of the gang and all of then except Reby all froze in horror when they saw the dragon.

"Surprise," Branch whined nervously. Suddenly Melody growled at the group and Guy Diamond and Cooper screamed in horror, turning around and running for the hills.

"I said don't freak out." Branch responded "Reby can you get the two cowards and bring them back."

"On it." Reby turned and headed off after the two terrified trolls.

"Branch..." Suki gasped "Is that a...?Melody lunged at the group the other trolls screamed in horror and closed their eyes expecting to become dragon food but Branch stepped in between them and put his hands out signalling for her to stop. It wasn't until they all heard Branch talking to Melody that they opened their eyes and stared at Branch in total confusion.

"Melody it is okay, these are my friends they are not going to hurt you. They are non dragon killers like me." Branch turned to the rest of his friends who were all cowering in terror at the sight of the beast. "Sorry about this everyone, you kind of scared her."

"We scared _her?"_ Suki gasped "Who is _her?"_

"No we don't want to go back there! That is where the dragon is!" They all heard Cooper screaming. They all turned around to see Reby dragging Guy Diamond and Cooper by their feet as they dug their fingers in the dirt trying to get away "Mommy help!" Melody growled again at the sight of the the approaching trolls but Branch calmed her down telling them that they were with him also. Reby plopped the two cowards on the ground and held them down by their ears as Branch introduced his dragon to them.

"Everyone this is Melody, Melody this everyone."

"Hello." Reby was the first to respond "I'm Reby."

"Wait, wait, time out." Smidge replied "This is the _project_ you have been working on?"

"Yep, turns out I can't kill dragons, but I can..." Branch then scratched Melody under the neck, Melody's tongue drooped out of her mouth and she fell to the ground completely relaxed and contempt. "Train them."

Reby giggled at how Melody looked with her tongue hanging out like that "She's actually kind of cute."

"Cute?" Smidge screamed "Dragon's are killing machines! They kill trolls like you and me."

"No you got it all wrong trust me." Branch protested "They are not what you think they are."

"Okay what the hair have they been teaching you at that class?" Smidge demanded.

"I haven't learned anything in that class."

"Obviously," Smidge responded under her breath with her arms crossed

"You said you wanted answers, I'm giving them to you. For the past couple of weeks I have been training Melody. I found her in the woods after I shot her with my net launcher. I was going to kill her at first but after I looked into her eyes I realized that I didn't have it in me. So after I sat her free I have spent most of my time studying her, learning everything I could about her. I soon realized that dragons are not the monsters we claim they are, but docile misunderstood creatures. So I built her a new tail using some of Priscilla's old feathers to help her fly again."

"See now that's how you use Priscilla's old feathers for a good cause." Reby told Guy Diamond, still holding him by his ear.

"Wait is that where the feathers off my hats went too?" Cooper asked.

"I then spent the next several days training her." Branch replied "Taming her, and just recently I was able to actually fly with her."

"You flew on that thing?!" Everyone including Reby replied simultaneously in one loud gasp.

"Um yeah, want to see? I can have her take you on a ride too."

"Totally!" Reby screamed with excitement.

"No way!" Guy Diamond and Cooper shook their heads.

"Oh come now don't be cowards." Reby grabbed the struggling trolls toward Melody and placed them on her back before hopping on. Cooper and Guy Diamond both held onto Reby, shivering in fear and their eyes closed tight.

"The rest of you coming?" Branch asked the others.

"Oh what the heck." Suki shrugged, getting on Melody, Fuzzbert followed behind her.

"You coming Smidge?" Branch asked

Smidge just shrugged "Fine, but if we die I am kicking your butt all the way to the afterlife." with all them on Melody, Branch hopped on and ordered Melody to take off. Melody took off and much to the surprise of everyone she was flying calm and smoothly, not even bucking or kicking or trying to kill of them.

"Is it over yet?" Cooper whined

"Um Cooper you might want to open your eyes," Reby said looking down. "You too Guy Diamond." The two opened their eyes and looked down. They then gasped in awe as they looked down and saw just how beautiful the village looked from up high, and how smoothly they were flying.

"Look up," Branch smiled. They all looked up and saw the orange and red color of the clouds as the sun as the sun was starting to set, Smidge ran her fingers through the clouds, Suki closed her eyes and spread her arms out as she felt the coolness of the wind.

"Okay Melody, time to land." Melody soon landed on the ground and all the trolls hopped off.

"Okay that was awesome!" Suki smiled

"I flew on a dragon," Reby freaked out "I actually flew on a dragon? This is the best day ever!"

"How, how did you do that?" Smidge asked in shock.

"I just studied them."

Reby got on her hands and knees and crawled up to Branch and stared begging "Teach me!"

Branch laughed and patted Reby on the head "I will teach all of you."

That night at Branch's house Branch told his friends everything he knew about dragon training. From their likes to their dislikes and every step on how to fly them. They all listened with extreme interest, especially Reby, who was literally writing down every word Branch said. Branch took notice of that too and every now and then intentionally said a random word like "underpants" or "boogers" just to see if she would write them down, which she did.

"Okay it's official, I want a pet dragon," Reby said.

"Well that might be a little hard," Guy Diamond pointed out. "Considering the rest of the village still hates them."

"Guy Diamond's right," Suki replied "Branch how are you going to explain this to the rest of the village, to your class, to your _grandmother?_ Your grandmother stuck you in a dragon training class and is currently leading a expedition to try to find and destroy the dragon nest. How are you going to try to convince the entire village that dragons aren't the danger they take them as?"

"I...I don't know" Branch admitted "I'll think of a way. In the meantime until we find a way to tell the village we must keep this a secret from everyone."

"Branch you are currently the top student of the dragon training class." Cooper pointed out "If you graduate on top you will be expected to kill a dragon in front of the entire tribe!"

"You think I don't know that!" Branch replied "I will think of something before then, all we need to do is put our heads and think of a..." Branch was interrupted when they all heard a knock on the door. Branch got up and opened the door and was taken by surprise to see Poppy standing at the front door.

"Poppy, what are you doing here?" Branch asked. Poppy looked over Branch's shoulders and noticed Branch's friends all staring in her direction with a nervous expression on their faces, they knew Poppy was a student at the dragon training class, and they also knew Poppy was _really_ jealous of Branch's success.

"What's going on in here?" Poppy asked suspicious.

"Oh we are having a uh...?" Branch struggled to think of a good explanation to tell Poppy.

"A party!" Cooper came in

"Oh really?" Poppy crossed her arms and stared at them, not buying the story. "What type of party.

"A uh...?" Cooper started to stutter.

"A pajama party!" Smidge quickly responded.

"None of you are wearing pajamas," Poppy pointed out before stopping and starring at Guy Diamond weirdly. "In fact, this guy isn't wearing anything at all." Guy Diamond quickly looked down and covered himself with his hands and ran off.

"Yo dude put some pants on there is women present!" Cooper hollered out as Guy Diamond ran off.

Poppy cringed in disgust before turning back to Branch. "Okay I normally don't care about what you do but you have been acting weird lately."

"I found some pants!" Guy Diamond ran back into the living room wearing a pair of Branch's pants. Only the pants was to big for him so they quickly fell down to his ankles. Guy Diamond quickly pulled them back up before running off into another room in embarrassment.

"Well weirder." Poppy corrected "Look I don't know how you suddenly got so good but let me tell you, you are not better then me nor will you ever be." Poppy grabbed Branch by the collar and pulled her close to her and glared at him with clinched teeth. "That prize is mine, so stay out of my way." Poppy released Branch and walked out, but before she left she issued one last statement. "And tell your naked friend if I see him again without cloths I'm going cover him with tar and feathers." Poppy then slammed the door shut and was gone.

"Well that was spooky." Smidge responded

"Seriously." Guy Diamond said walking back into the living room. "I don't look good in tar, or feathers."

Branch sighed and rubbed his temple. Poppy was on to him, and he feared it was going to be harder and harder to keep his secret from her. And he feared if she found his secret, it would be all over for both him and Melody. He had to make sure Poppy didn't discover their secret.


	10. Rosiepuff returns

**Was wanting to get this up earlier today but was having internet trouble.**

With their boat destroyed after the battle with the Reaper, Rosiepuff had to rely on her brains and survival skills to get her surviving crew members home. Building a campfire on the boulder they were stuck on, Rosiepuff used her coat to send smoke signals to any nearby ships hoping they would pick up the signal and come to their rescue. She did that day after day for about a week before finally a fishing boat picked up the signal and came for them. It took a extra five days after the rescue to return back to the Troll Tree but finally they made it back. Tired, beat up, a little malnourished from eating nothing but fish for a week, but alive.

Peppy was the first one to greet Rosiepuff when she made it back on land. Peppy could tell by just how bad Rosiepuff looked that she had a rough trip, the fact that the boat they were on didn't return also gave it away.

"So, did you at least find the dragon's nest?" Peppy asked hoping for a little bit of good news.

"Not even close." Rosiepuff replied before she suddenly realized that Branch hadn't came and greeted her yet. "Where's my grandson?"

"Oh he's gone." Peppy said not realizing how his words came out.

"Gone, as in...?" Roseipuff was about to have a heart attack

"Oh no not like that," Peppy instantly corrected. Roseipuff tightly gripped one hand over her heart and panted heavily trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. "He's not here at this moment. But that's the life of a celebrity. Always running away from the swarm of fans."

"Celebrity? Fans? Branch?"

"Who ever would of thought he would be so good at dragon training. He has a unique way with dragons, unlike anything anybody had ever seen before."

"Branch?" Rosiepuff asked again.

"Yes, we were wrong about him. Everybody was wrong about him. He's amazing."

"But how, the Cloud Guy predicted...?"

"Beats me, but let me tell you. I have never witnessed anything like what I have witnessed when training Branch."

Rosiepuff couldn't believe it, could it be true? Could Branch really be a dragon killer after all? If so why did the Cloud Guy predict otherwise? "Where is he? I need to speak to him."

"Who knows? Probably hiding from the paparazzi. Who could blame him?" Rosiepuff instantly ran home hoping that he would be in his room.

Branch was in his room asleep after a long day of dragon training with his friends. Reby was a fast learner and instantly got the hang of Melody. Cooper though, not to much. Melody completely ignored his every command. And the second Cooper got on Melody's back to try to fly her she instantly bucked him off, causing him to land in a hornet's nest. The rest of the session was spent chasing after Cooper who was running away from the hornets screaming. After a good thirty minutes everybody was able to get the hornets off of Cooper and treat Coopers _many_ stings. As a result of the very dramatic experience Branch was exhausted and only wanted to rest the rest of the day.

That is until Rosiepuff burst into his room, instantly waking him up. "Grandma! Your... your back."

"We need to talk." Rosiepuff replied in a serious tone.

"We, we do?" Branch instantly started to get scared

"You've been keeping secrets from me,"

"I... I have?"

"Did you really think you could keep it from me?"

"I... uh... I?"

"Let's talk about the dragon situation."

 _Oh no she knows but how?_ But thought to himself _oh well might as well get this over with and hope for a quick death_ "Grandma I'm sorry I was planning on telling you but..."

Suddenly Rosiepuff burst out laughing "You really had me going there Branch!"

"Huh?"

"All those years running into danger blindly, nearly getting yourself killed on hundreds of occasions. Who would of thought that _you_ would actually have a dragon killer in you."

Branch just stared at Rosiepuff in silence, confused.

"Peppy told me about how good you are doing in the arena." Rosiepuff reached over and gave Branch a big hug "I'm so proud of you."

"You are?"

"Of course, knowing that you will be able to be able to handle yourself out there in battle, makes me confident you will be able to keep the tribe safe when you take over as chief of the tribe."

"Oh Grandma, trust me I am no where near ready for that kind of responsibility."

"Not yet, but you real be." Rosiepuff ensured "And this is a big first step. And with me out there with you on the battlefield. The dragons will think twice before they mess with us. I can't wait to see what you can do. I might even mount your first dragon head on the wall."

" _I doubt that."_ Branch thought to himself.

"You know Branch, I always dreamed of handing the tribe over to your father, my son.

"Yeah I know your son was my father Grandma"

"Then one day," Rosiepuff paused as the memory of that day was enough to cause her to choke up tears. "He was taken away from me by a dragon, along with your mother. I always swore I was going to keep you safe, that I would never let a dragon take you from me, like they did your parents. Maybe I have been a little over protective over the years. I refused to give you a chance to show your potential. And I kept you from showing your true talent. I am sorry Branch. I promise that I will never hold you back again. From now on, I will support you in whatever you choose to do in your life."

Branch was starting to feel a huge weight of guilt in his body. For the first time in his life he felt like his grandmother was truly proud of him. But that only is because she thought he was a dragon killer. If only she knew the truth, would she still be proud of him? No of course not, not with her hatred of dragons. How could he possibly tell her the truth without it breaking her heart? Was there anyway?

"Well anyway," Rosiepuff got up and started to head for the door. "I saw that you were sleeping when I came in. Must of been a busy day for you, with all that hard training in all."

"Oh trust me Grandma you have no idea." Branch replied

"I will let you get back to sleep. Sweet dreams my grandson, you deserve it." Once Rosiepuf closed the door Branch let out a deep sigh. This was going to be a lot harder then he thought.

The next day was the final day of Dragon training. Today Cloud Guy would pick who he believed was the top student out of the class. Everybody showed up to support Branch, including Rosiepuff, who watched from her on special seat above the arena.

"Go Branch, show them what you are made of!"

Branch waved nervously at his grandmother as he entered the arena. _If only she knew what I truly do with dragons._

The dragon of the day was a Widowmaker. As soon as the dragon flew out of it's cage the students fled to find a safe spot while preparing their attack. Like usual the twins would give away their hiding spot with their constant arguing.

"Your to close, your elbowing me!" Chenille argued

"Am not,"

"Are you!"

The two of them sensed the dragon behind them and instantly ran away screaming _again._

Creek was the next one to attempt taking down the dragon. Stepping out of his hiding spot he insulted the dragons mother in order to cause it to run towards him. Creek then threw his spear at the Widowmaker, only for it to go wide right and miss the dragon by a good two feet. Creek quickly responded by running for his life.

Biggie tried next by leaping on the dragon and actually got a couple good hits on the head with his hammer. But the Widowmaker quickly bucked him off and sent him crashing threw the arena's gate and into the crowd.

"I'm okay." Biggie whined

Finally there was just Poppy and Branch. As they both sneaked to a closer hiding spot Poppy grabbed Branch and gave him a heated warning.

"I'm winning this, stay out of my way." Releasing Branch Poppy turned and studied the dragon one last time looking for the perfect area to strike.

"Okay this time for sure." Poppy breathed "This time, you got it!" Taking a deep breath Poppy picked up her ax, exited her hiding spot and charged after the dragon... only to see the dragon was already laying on the ground with Branch standing over it.

"NO!" Poppy screamed throwing her ax on the ground in anger "NO, NO, NO, NO!"

The entire arena cheered Branch, Rosiepuff could hardly stay in her seat she was so excited.

"That's my boy, my grandson! Yes!"

Alas now was the time everybody was waiting for. Time for Cloud Guy to pick the top student in the class. Seeing that Cloud Guy was the one doing the picking made Branch feel a little relief.

"Oh good Cloud Guy knows I'm not a dragon killer, there is no way he will pick me. I'm safe."

Peppy had all the students line up, Peppy brought the twins up to Cloud Guy first.

"Yeah no," Cloud Guy quickly responded. The twins stormed off, still arguing with each other.

"This is all your fault."

"No this is all your fault"

Peppy presented Creek next.

"Yeah is this a joke?" Cloud Guy asked. Feeling insulted Creek stormed off, throwing his weapon to the side.

Next was Biggie.

"Nope sorry." Biggie just hung his low and walked off sad.

" _Cloud Guy has to pick Poppy"_ Branch thought to himself _"She's the real dragon killer of the group."_

Finally Peppy presented Poppy.

"Nope, uh uh."

"WHAT!" Branch gasped. "Wait, no.. no..." Poppy just glared at Branch as Peppy presented Branch next, and Branch quickly found himself sweating and shaking with fear.

"Oh yeah, he's the one." Cloud Guy said confidently. Branch felt himself going pale, and he thought for sure he was going to faint. As everybody cheered, and the other students (minus Poppy) congratulated him, Branch looked up at his grandmother who was cheering for her grandson louder then anybody else in the arena.

" _Yep,"_ Branch thought to himself as he looked at his grandma and then at the anger in Poppy's eyes. _"I'm dead"_

"We're leaving." Branch said later that afternoon as he walked into the woods. Branch ran back to the house before his grandmother showed up and packed himself a small bag filled with enough clothes and food to last him until he found a new place to stay. Wherever that would be. All he knew was that there was no way he could stay in the Troll Tree knowing what he was expected to do next.

"Branch you can't just leave." Suki replied, his friends confronted him after class. They too was concerned after Branch was chosen as top student, however they didn't expect him to run away.

"Don't you think you are taking this a tad to far?" Smidge asked

"Well what do want me to do?" Branch responded "I can't kill a dragon, and they are expecting me to kill one in front of the _entire_ village."

"I'm pretty sure we can think something out." Cooper replied

"The event is happening _tomorrow!"_ Branch responded. "What can we possibly come up with in such a short amount of time."

"What's up star student?" Everybody turned and saw Cloud Guy standing behind him with his hand raised for a high five. "Up high!"

" _You_." Branch growled before he lunged at Cloud Guy and started strangling him. "This is all your fault. I wouldn't be in this predicament if you had just kept your stupid trap shut."

"Branch get off of him, leave the immortal cloud guru alone." Reby yelled as she pulled Branch off of Cloud Guy. Branch was still yelling as Cloud Guy tried to catch his breath. "Why are you doing this to me? You know for a fact that I can't kill dragons."

"To help you fulfill your destiny."

"Which is what, to get myself killed? Because that's how this is starting to head thanks to you."

"I can't tell you what your destiny is Branch. You have to figure it out yourself. All I can do, is help steer you on the right path."

"Okay, you are starting to become a real pain in the butt you know that?"

"It comes with being a all knowing Cloud Guy. But believe me I will never lead you down the wrong path. I will never steer you toward death."

"Hello Branch," They all heard a voice growl toward their direction. They all turned to see Poppy laying on a boulder, sharpening her ax with a rock.

"Well bye," Cloud Guy waved before he floated off. "If you survive come find me."

"Wait, you can't just leave me you stupid cloud!" Branch yelled as Cloud Guy floated back into the sky. "Coward!" Branch then turned back to Poppy, who had a serious, and absolutely terrifying look on her face. As she laid there on that rock sharpening her ax, Branch felt as if she was glaring at his soul and thinking about which vital organ to rip out first.

Branch froze in fear, and let out a gulp. "Oh no."


	11. Romantic flight

**And now comes the chapter I've been looking forward to writing for a while now.**

 **I would highly suggest listening to Romantic flight from the HTTYD soundtrack to make this chapter that much more epic.**

 **Tapdancing Giraf: Your reviews always brings a smile to my face, thanks for the laughs.**

 **Black Raider: Cloud Guy's full plan for Branch will be laid out not this chapter but next.**

"Poppy? Wha... What are you doing out here?"

"I want to know what you are hiding." Poppy jumped off the rock and marched over to Branch, the fact that she was still gripping tightly to her ax only increased Branch's fear. "Nobody just gets as good as you are at dragon fighting. Especially someone like _you._ What's your secret?"

Branch had to think of something fast in hopes of getting Poppy off his tail. If she knew about Melody both him _and_ Melody are dead. "Okay, okay, you got me. I've been... training. Yeah, I found me a teacher, someone who could teach me all the secrets to dragon fight... OW!" Poppy suddenly punched Branch in the arm.

"That's for lying to me," Poppy then followed up by dropping the handle of her ax on Branch's head, knocking him to the ground. "And _that's_ for everything else."

"Mercy." Branch whined

"At least Poppy didn't kick him in the..." Cooper started to whisper in Guy Diamond's ear.

"OH SWEET MERCY OW!"

"Never mind." Cooper replied

"Oh my gah." Was the only thing Smidge could say while witnessing the situation unfold.

Reby had enough. Nobody treated Branch the way Poppy was doing right at that moment. Taking out her bow, Reby fired a arrow that just narrowly missed Poppy's head and struck a nearby tree. The near experience with the arrow caused Poppy to turn and face her attempted murderer.

"Leave Branch alone." Reby replied

"If your going to fire a weapon at someone. You better make sure you don't miss." Poppy growled lifting her ax, ready to use it.  
"That's a mistake I won't make twice." Reby readied another arrow.

"Uh girl's I don't think this is a very good idea." Cooper protested. His words were ignored however. Reby shot a arrow at Poppy and Poppy swung her ax, splitting the arrow in half. Reby fired arrow after arrow towards Poppy's direction, but each arrow she shot was quickly countered and slit in half by Poppy's ax. The rest of the gang just hid behind a bush to scared of the ongoing battle to watch. Cooper buried his head in Guy Diamond's shoulders shaking in fear and crying.

Poppy screamed as she charged Reby, she leaped in the air and swung her ax, only for it to be blocked by Reby's bow. Poppy lifted her ax and swung again, only for it to be blocked again by Reby's bow. Poppy lifted and swung a third time, but once again her ax got blocked by the bow.

"Girls, girls, stop!" Branch shouted, stepping in between each other. "You two are going to kill each other, this is no way to settle anything."

"The brat is right." Poppy replied.

"Agreed," Reby answered "Let's finish this bare knuckled.

"That's not what I meant." Branch griped, but before he could push any further the two girls were fighting it out with their fists, each landing several blows of their fist on each other. Reby punched Poppy in the face twice before Poppy answered with two quick blows to Reby's abdomen followed by a uppercut to the jaw. Reby answered by grabbing Poppy by the shoulders, throwing her against a tree and planting her fist into her face. Pinned, Poppy quickly kneed Reby in the chest before delivering a hard blow to the face knocking Reby to the ground. Poppy then lunged toward Reby and leaped in the air, Reby quickly countered by kicking Poppy in the chest and sending her flying into some bushes.

About ten feet away Melody's nap was interrupted by the sound of the two girls fighting. Curious as to what was going on Melody ran to the sight of the noise and froze when she saw a pink girl she never met before, with her hair covered with twigs and leaves, and several scrapes on her face, putting Reby in a headlock and delivering several punches to her face.

Seeing her female friend in trouble Melody let out a terrifying roar getting everybody's attention, and instantly stopping the fight. Poppy's face lit up in terror at the sight of the angry dragon growling at her, and Reby's face lit up in a taunting smile.

"Now your in trouble." Reby laughed.

Branch wasn't smiling though, in fact the sight of Melody eyeballing Poppy caused his face to lit up in terror. "Oh no".

Fear creeping up in her Poppy, she slowly and quietly picked her ax up off the ground. Bad mistake because Melody spotted it and quickly charged Poppy.

"Melody no!" Branch screamed out. Melody ignored Branch, She charged after the pink troll running after her with a ax and sent a blast her direction, knocking the ax out of Poppy's hands. Melody then tackled Poppy to the ground and pinned her down. All Poppy could do was scream and close her eyes thinking this was the end for her. But after a couple seconds Poppy opened one eye and saw Branch holding Melody back telling her that everything was all right and to stand down.

"Branch what is going on?" Poppy asked, shaking from her near death experience.

"Sorry Poppy, she's a little protective of her friends and when she saw you attacking Reby..."

"Friends?" Poppy interrupted "As in...?" Poppy fell silent as she pointed to Reby and the other trolls, her mouth hanging open in pure shock. All the other trolls had to do was nod in order to get the picture.

"Uh, Poppy meet Melody," Branch replied nervously introducing Poppy to his dragon "Melody meet Poppy." Melody still eyed Poppy with hatred and disdain. Poppy took a couple steps backwards in fear, then turned and ran towards the troll tree.

"Yep, I'm dead." Branch whined hopping on Melody's back. "Let's go,"

"Wait what about us?" Cooper cried out as Branch flew off. "Great he left us."

"Now what do we do?" Smidge asked

Poppy didn't look back as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her towards the direction of the tree. She had to let the rest of the tribe know. Branch wasn't a dragon killer, he was a traitor. He sided with the dragons, he befriended them, the enemy! Poppy was a third of the way back to the tree when she suddenly felt her feet leaving the ground. Screaming Poppy looked up and saw Melody flying her higher and higher in the air before dropping her safely onto a tree in the woods.

"Branch get me down from here now!" Poppy screamed as she dangled from a tree limb.

"Not until I tell you what is going on!"

"I know _exactly_ what is going on Branch! You are a traitor, a liar, and a disgrace to your tribe by siding with these monsters."

"That is not true at all Poppy," Branch held out his hand for Poppy to grab. "And if you at least let me show you what I am doing, then you will understand." Poppy still stared at Branch with anger and distrust.

"You have every right to be angry with me for being dishonest about what I really do," Branch replied trying to get Poppy to trust him. "But please, let me show you." After a little bit Poppy finally took Branch's hand and let him put her on Melody, Her anger still hadn't receded yet, neither did her trust.

"Now get me down." Poppy ordered sternly.

"Melody, take us down, _gently."_ Branch ordered in a much calmer voice.

Melody didn't take off gently however. In fact she made sure that Poppy's ride was as _non gentle_ as she could make it. Melody shot up into the sky as fast as she could. Both Poppy _and_ Branch screamed at the sudden speed that they were going.

"Melody what are you doing?" Branch demanded. Poppy struggled to hang on as Melody shook and wiggled her body as she was dragon. If it wasn't for the reins that Branch was holding onto he would probably be close to falling off as well. "Bad dragon, bad dragon!" Branch turned his head and looked at Poppy, who was clinging on to Branch or dear life while screaming her lungs out. "She's not usually like this, I don't know what has gotten into her."

Melody then turned upside down and started free falling towards the Earth. "Oh dear." Melody dived into the water and dived in and out of the water like a dolphin five times. "Melody, you are embarrassing me on front of Poppy we need her to like us!" Melody shot back up into the sky, they were above the clouds when Melody started spinning and free falling towards Earth again. "And now we're spinning. Thanks for nothing you useless reptile."

"Okay, okay I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Poppy cried, closing her eyes and holding on as tightly as she could to Branch. "Just get me off of this thing please."

It was right then that everything went calm. Hearing Poppy apologize, Melody started flying smoothly and calmly like she did with Branch. Sensing the calmness Poppy opened her eyes and was astonished at what she saw. They were in the clouds but Melody was no longer trying to throw her off, instead she was taking Poppy on a calm tour of the troll village from the sky. Poppy gasped at how amazing everything looked from up high. The clouds were some of the most beautiful clouds she had ever seen. They were so close the clouds that Poppy couldn't resist running her fingers through one of the clouds as they flew. Poppy couldn't help but giggle at the cool moistness of the cloud. Poppy never experienced anything so amazing before. She lifted both arms in the air and closed her eyes again, not out of fear this time, but to enjoy the amazing feeling of the wind against her face and hair.

Melody wasn't done yet with the show though. She took the two trolls above the clouds and showed the two of them the multiple colors of the northern lights. Poppy gasped at the beauty of the northern lights and how they lit up the mountains below them. They had been flying for so long that Poppy didn't realize until she saw the sun setting against the mountains that it was getting dark. Poppy didn't care though she was witnessing something that she thought was impossible. A troll that actually succeeded in taming a wild dragon. Poppy had so many questions, how was this possible? Her whole life she read how dragons were bad. She dreamed about killing dragons and ridding the island of them. Now this... this changed her whole aspect of them, and turned everything she knew about dragons upside down. Looking down at the village, and seeing it's beauty from the sky, Poppy wrapped her arms around Branch's waist again and rested her chin on his shoulders as she lost herself in the awe of the situation. Branch was really glad Poppy was to distracted at the sights to see the goofy love struck grin he was forming. His look didn't escape Melody's eyes who just gave a teasing grin back at him.

"Okay, I got to admit it, this is pretty cool. It's amazing actually," Poppy reached over Branch and patted Melody on the cheek. "She is amazing. I have... so many question's I don't even know where to begin."

"I'll be glad to answer them all."

"I guess I will start with the question what now?"

"I, I don't know actually?"

"Branch your final exam is tomorrow, every is expecting you to kill a dragon."

Melody's eyes lit up when she heard that. She then turned and flew towards a different set of mountains. She had to show these two trolls something important. Hoping that they would understand the real reason as to why they steal food. Maybe if Branch knew the truth he could tell the village and they would stop killing her kind. It was a risky move and the last thing Melody wanted was to return to that cave. But it was the only way the truth would get out.

The two trolls didn't even notice that Melody had changed course as they continued to talk about Branch's situation.

"So what are you going to do about it? And please don't say run away because that never solves anything."

"I will have to tell them the truth."

"You know they won't listen."

"Well it's the only thing I can do. You know I can't kill a dragon. You even said it yourself I'm not a dragon killer." The sight of other dragons flying up to them caught his attention and Branch finally realized that they weren't in the troll village anymore but someplace he had never seen before. "Where are we?"

A swarm of several different species of dragons arrived. Each dragon was carrying either a worm, a type of bug like a beetle of grasshopper, or a small fish.

"Branch, what is going on?" Poppy asked getting a little concerned.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like they are hauling in their kill."

"Um, what does that make us?"  
Melody flew into the cave with the other dragons. Inside the cave was tens of thousands of other dragons, either flying around the cave ceiling or resting on rocks.

"Is this..." Poppy started to ask

"The dragons nest." Branch finished "Man what my grandmother wouldn't give to find this place."

As the other dragons flew straight Melody turned left into another part of the cave and landed on a area of rocks.

"Why did you bring us here Melody?" Branch asked as he and Poppy stepped off.

"Um Branch you might want to see this." Poppy tapped Branch on the shoulder. Branch turned and finally noticed that the area that they were at was completely covered in dragon skeletons. Judging by the blackness of the skeletons Branch could tell that they had been burned.

"What in the name of Thor happened here?" Branch gasped kneeling down to study the burned skeletons.

"How long do you think they have been here?" Poppy asked

"I'm not sure, but they certainly do not look recent. I would say probably a few years maybe?"

"Oh they are a bit longer then a few." A new voice said behind them causing them both to scream. The two terrified trolls turned around and saw Cloud Guy float up to them, carrying Branch's friends in his arms. Cooper was clinging to Cloud Guy's feet shivering in fear. "Okay everyone last stop, thanks for flying with Cloud Guy airlines."

"Oh thank goodness ground." Cooper sighed falling to his knees and beginning to kiss the ground. He then noticed the burned skeleton next to the spot he was kissing.

"Ah dead things, dead things! Back on the flying Cloud!" Cooper ran over to Cloud Guy ans leaped on his arms.

"Cloud Guy what are you doing here?" Branch asked.

"Oh you know, I was just picking up your friends that you left in the forest when I sensed your dragon bringing you here and I thought it would be a great time to show the next thing to help you fulfill your destiny."

"Which is?"

"Look at those pile of bones next to the wall over there?" Cloud Guy pointed to the wall straight ahead of them. Branch walked over and bent down. What he saw next caught him off guard. There was two skeletons and they were not that of a dragon but of trolls.

"Why are there two troll skeletons here?"

"You do not recognize them?" Cloud Guy asked

"No," Branch admitted "Who are they?"

"Of course you wouldn't know. You were only a babe when they left you. But they are more connected to you then you would know.

Branch gasped as it finally hit him. "Mom? Dad?"

 **Dun. Dun Dun... Plot twist! I can hear you all asking questions as we speak. But don't worry everything will be answered next chapter, and it's going to be huge game changer.**

 **Oh and thank you Reby Montana for the idea of the fight between you and Poppy. Hope you enjoyed it.**


	12. Demon Dragon

**Did you all see the trailer for How To Train your Dragon 3? Who am I kidding of course you did? Wasn't is great? Who am I kidding again of course it was. The Hype train is real y'all.**

 **Oh and this chapter is the darkest one yet, but don't worry, if you that are reading Eden can handle what I have put in that story then you can handle this easily.**

"No!" Branch fell to his knees, buried his face in his hands and cried upon realizing that these bones belonged to his parents, "No, no no no!" Poppy bent down and put a hand own his shoulder in comfort. "It's true, it's all true. My parents they were taken by a dragon that day, and killed."

"Actually the story you know about your parents is only half true." Cloud Guy chimed in.

"What?"

"While it's true that your parents were taken by a dragon, they were not killed by it."

"Wait, if my parents weren't killed by a dragon, what happened then? Why were they taken? How did they die? Why did they never come back?"

"That answer and many others will be answered. First I want you to sit down and close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Do you want to know the story of your parents?"

"Well yes,"

"Then do as I say. The rest of you form a circle and do the same thing. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and relax. For I will not just tell you the story of your parents but _show_ you."

"Show us? What does he mean?" Reby asked

"Shut up I'm talking!" Cloud Guy responded

"Sorry."

As they all closed their eyes suddenly a vision appeared to all of them. It showed two young trolls being brought to the Cloud Guy as babies. One was a blue troll of similar color as branch and green hair, and another carried by Branch's grandmother was red with yellow hair.

" _Your mother Maple and your father Oak were born and presented to me around the same time. As I stared into both of their futures I sensed something unique and similar about them. Not only did I sense that they were destined to be together. But I also sensed that these two were destined to do something far greater then any trolls before them. Ever since your ancestors landed on this island and raged war with the dragons three hundred years ago I had been searching for the troll that would lead the dragons to freedom and bring peace between the dragons and trolls. I sensed that in your parents they day. They were brought to me, and I immediately set them on the path to fall in love and discover their destiny._

 _Luckily they found it pretty quickly, neither of your parents were near as stubborn as you Branch. When the rest of the tribe was out fighting dragons, your parents would in secret try to peacefully chase them off for their safety, when the dragons weren't attacking your parents were building a secret dragon Utopia for all the dragons to escape too. Soon it was time for my plan to come into motion, so shortly after you was born I arranged for something to happen. While it would destroy your Grandmother, and leave you without your parents I knew it had to be done. I arranged a Feathered Fury to take your parents that day, not to kill them but to lead them to the hidden Utopia that they had built. The plan was for your parents to help all the dragons escape from the nest and into that Utopia where they would be safe._

"Why?" Poppy asked without opening her eyes "Why was it so important for the dragons to escape the nest.

"To get away from HIM my dear."

"Him who?"

"The Demon Dragon."

"The Demon what?" Branch gasped. They all then saw a vision of a dragon that was completely red, with black smoke coming out of his entire body. The dragon had a triangle shaped head and a thick long horns. His mouth was long like a beak and coated with row after row of sharp pointed teeth. His eyes were black and soulless and his wings were nothing but bone. The most interesting thing about the Demon Dragon though was that he had arms and legs that resembled in shape of those of a troll.

" _Years ago the Demon Dragon was a troll like you, but he was filled with darkness and hatred. He was the son of a chief from another tribe far away, but instead of waiting until he was handed the title of Chief he one day killed his father and took the title himself. Enraged at his evil deeds one of the trolls learned dark magic and used it to turn the new Chief into the Demon Dragon as punishment. Exiled and without a home the Demon Dragon discovered the dragons nest and quickly took it over. He enslaved the dragons and forced them to go out and hunt for food, having them attack all the surrounding tribes and take their livestock to feed him. And those who don't give him enough food, would become food themselves."_

"My gods." Reby gasped

" _That's were your parent's come into play Branch. See when you were born and presented to me I saw the same type of vision I saw with your parents. A vision of you freeing the dragons from the Demon Dragon, I thought at the time it meant that when you would find them when you were older and help them fulfill their destiny. It wasn't until later that I finally realized what it really meant."_

 _All the troll teenagers were horrified at the vision that they saw next. Branch's parents barged into the troll cave armed with a sword and shield. Oak attacked the Demon Dragon while Maple helped round up the dragons in a attempt to flee. Oak stabbed the Demon Dragon in the leg wounding it, but the Demon Dragon quickly responded by Grabbing Oak and throwing him against the pile of rocks. The Demon Dragon then flew up and charged after his Maple. He caught her chasing some of the dragons out of the back end of the cave. The exact spot where the teenagers currently stood. The Demon Dragon blasted the ceiling causing a massive pile of rocks to fill end the exit preventing anymore dragons, or Maple to escape._

Branch opened his eyes and screamed, not wanting to finish watching. The sound of Branch's horrified scream caused everyone else to open their eyes and run over to comfort their terrified friend who was curling over and panting from distraught.

"I can't finish, I can't continue!"

"Cloud Guy, please don't make him watch this." Suki begged.

"Branch," Cloud Guy walked up and took Branch by the cheeks and stared at him and spoke with comfort and understanding, "It's okay, let it flow."

Branch didn't want to, but Cloud Guy was letting him know to trust him, that everything was going to be okay. So Branch relaxed and closed his eyes again, the rest of his friends followed soon after.

 _The Demon Dragon surrounded Maple, as the rest of the dragons cowered back Maple took out her sword and shield ready to fight. As the Demon dragon lifted back his neck ready to strike Oak suddenly came from behind and struck the dragon in the back of the leg, and dug in his sword as deep as he can. As the Demon Dragon howled in pain, Oak started climbing up the Demon Dragon's bony wing about to run his sword through the dragon's back. That is when the Demon Dragon grabbed Oak and threw him over with the rest, bumping into Maple. Oak tried to reach for his shield to defend himself for the Demon Dragon's next strike but the Demon Dragon kicked it away. Defenseless, trapped and nowhere to run Branch's parents grabbed each other's hand closed their eyes and lowered their head in defeat as the Demon Dragon shot out fire burning them to death were they stood._

"After the death of your parents, The Demon Dragon punished the remaining dragons by breathing fire into the mouths of a hundred of his slaves, burning them to death from the inside and leaving their charred remains with the remains of your parents."

"Oh my Gah." Smidge gasped horrified of the vision she just saw.

"Dude that vision is going to be the subject of my nightmares for weeks." Cooper responded.

Branch toppled over gasping again over the what he saw, he curled up in a ball and began weeping over everything he just found out. The dragons never attacked their tree because they were evil and wanted to. They did it because they were slaves and feared for their lives. And his parents died trying to save them.

"Our war with the dragons," Poppy gasped as she wrapped her arms around the distraught Branch. "Is a misunderstanding."

"Now you know." Cloud Guy replied "Now you all know." Cloud Guy sat next to Branch and put a comforting arm over him as well "Branch, what happened to your parents was a horrible tragedy" Cloud guy then grabbed a handful of ash with his free hand and squeezed it hard. Everyone watched in amazement as Cloud Guy opened his palm and revealed a diamond. "But through the ashes of tragedy, something beautiful can come out. Through pain, you can find out who you really are. So Branch, let me ask you something, what are you?"

Branch's entire life then flashed before him, he saw himself running into the battle as a young boy, being sent to work with Peppy and his friends, making friends with his fellow non dragon killers, and meeting Melody and being sent to dragon killing class. Branch stood up and dried his tears as he finally realized what his calling was.

"I am not a dragon killer, I am the dragons _savior._ And I am going to free these dragons, show my tribe the truth and end this war between us."

"Well it's about time you figured it out." Cloud Guy laughed.

It was then that they all suddenly heard a terrifying war coming from the other side of the cave.

"Um, what was that?" Cooper whined, shaking in fear.

"The Demon Dragon!" Branch realized, "Come on, this way." Branch signaled walking toward the direction of the sound.

"Um, Branch are you sure it's a good idea to go toward the thing that killed your parents?" Suki asked

"Didn't you pay attention at all to Cloud Guy? It's my calling."

"Yeah but still."

They all crouched behind a boulder and peaked out from behind it to see all the dragons lining up to give the Demon Dragon it's food. Everyone gasped at the size of the Demon Dragon, it was at least four times the size of a regular sized dragon.

"Well it's nice to know all our livestock is fed to that ugly thing." Guy Diamond responded seeing the Demon Dragon eating all the food it was brought.

"They aren't keeping any of it for themselves." Poppy realized.

A Widowmaker suddenly gave the Demon Dragon a minnow and started flying off, thinking the demon was satisfied. It wasn't though, not even close. The Demon Dragon suddenly shot out it's arm and grabbed the terrified dragon around the waste, it then pulled the dragon forward and started devouring it. The teenagers watched in pure terror as the Demon didn't chew the Widowmaker but instead bit the dragon into three parts and swallowed each bite whole. First it bit off the head and neck, then the upper torso, then finally it's lower torso and tail until it was totally gone. Reby covered her mouth with her hand as horrified tears fell from her eyes. Poppy just watched frozen in shock and disbelief, Suki felt like she was about to be sick. Smidge was the first one to finally speak.

"Oh my gah!"

"I was wrong. _THAT_ is what is going to be the subject of my nightmares for weeks." Cooper gasped.

"Melody, let's get out of here." Branch whispered. Branch piled everybody up on Melody's back. But before they took off the Demon Dragon had sensed them and walked over to their corner to investigate them. Branch was just getting on Melody himself when the Demon Dragon spotted them.

"Reby now!" The Demon Dragon was reaching down to grab them when Reby quickly fired a arrow, temporarily stunning the Demon. Melody then took off faster then she had ever taken off before. The Demon Dragon was fast too, and as soon as he got over the sting of the arrow he took off after the group.

"Um, Branch he's right behind us!" Guy Diamond responded, seeing the Demon Dragon right behind him. "And he looks mad."

"Reby! Get this thing off of us!"

"I'm on it." Reby took out another arrow and fired, hitting the Demon Dragon on the right shoulder. All the arrow did was make it mad, and it's whole body became covered in fire and black smoke. The Dragon's head became a flaming skull.

"Um Branch it's head just became a flaming skull!" Reby gasped "It's head just became a flaming skull!"

"Melody, let's get this thing off of us! Reby just keep shooting, everyone else hold tight" Branch had Melody take sharp turn after sharp turn. Everybody screamed and held on tight as Melody turned on her side and flew in between two rocky walls. Reby as commanded kept shooting at the beast but all her hard work was barely slowing the monster down.

"I'm hitting it with everything I have but nothings working! I'm running out of arrows here!"

"Well you better think of something else fast!"

Reby then had a idea, if she couldn't stop the beast by hitting it, maybe she could trap it. "I got a idea!" Noticing dragons flying by them trying to escape themselves, Reby slid down and dangled upside down, only holding on to Melody's waist by her feet as she lined up a shot.

"Reby what are you doing?" Cooper gasped

"You'll see!"

"You're crazy!"

"I know!" Reby replied, "Light me Melody!" Melody lowered her head and lit Reby's arrow on fire. She then fired it at a group of rocks on the ceiling causing them to explode and crumble, forming a wall in between The Demon Dragon and the teenagers. Reby then dropped off the dragon causing everybody else to scream in horror thinking that she just got killed. But Reby soon appeared riding a Monstrous Reaper. Everybody let out a huge sigh of relief.

"You nearly gave us a heart attack." Poppy scolded

"But I didn't." Reby replied "And hey, guess what? I stopped the monster."

"Um guess again." Suki whined. They all turned and saw the Demon Dragon blasting it's way through the wall, continuing it's pursuit of the group.

"Oh come on now!" Reby screamed

"Um do you have any more arrows?" Cooper asked. Fuzzbert didn't say anything as he shook in fear.

"Just one." Reby replied looking into her quiver bag.

"Well you better make it count because we are coming to our exit!" Branch replied. Reby took a deep breath to calm her nerves, the group's lives depended on her getting this beast off of them. She then thought of a plan.

"Okay light me Arrow!" Reby told the Monstrous Reaper she was riding.

"Arrow?" Poppy asked as the Monstrous Reaper lit Reby's arrow.

"That's what I named the dragon, you got a problem with that?" Melody zoomed out of the exit. Reby waited until The Demon Dragon was just approaching the exit of the cave when she fired, hitting another patch of rocks. The rocks exploded and landed on the Demon Dragon. Burying it, trapping it in the cave. The Demon Dragon Roared after the teens in anger as he was unable to move.

"You did it!" Cooper cheered

"Way to go Reby." Branch congratulated.

"That was some major skill showing right there." Poppy replied impressed. "You know your not to bad."

"Thanks, your not to shabby with your ax either. Sorry for trying to kill you earlier."

"Well I'm sorry I was such a jerk. But hey it's all water under the bridge."

"Melody fine us somewhere safe to land." Branch ordered "I think we all need a breather before we head back home. Melody nodded, she knew just the place to take them too.

The whole team gasped when the place Melody landed was a valley filled with several different dragon species.

"Melody, what is this place?"

"This is the dragon Utopia that your parents started." Cloud Guy replied, literally appearing out of nowhere.

"How did you get here?" Suki asked

"I'm a magic Cloud Guru, I have my ways."

"Wait, this is the place my parents founded?" Branch gasped.

"Yep, welcome to Dragon Utopia." The whole group gasped as they stared at the place. It was a acres among acres of grassy fields, flower beds, water holes and hills.

"It's so beautiful." Reby gasped as she felt her eyes getting misty. "I'm going to cry."

"Go ahead." Poppy replied also amazed by the place, "I won't judge." Melody ran up to a group of Widowmakers and Home Wreckers and started bouncing up and down in excitement, catching the other trolls eyes.

"What's up with her?" Suki laughed

"I think these might be dragons Melody knows." Branch responded. Melody brought the dragons over to the rest of the group, the dragons were all jumping around the trolls in joy.

"What do you think they want?" Poppy asked

"Well I think they want to make friends." Branch replied.

"And how do we make friends with these things?" Poppy asked

"Hold out your hand and just look away."

"Huh?"

"Trust me." Branch stretched out Poppy's hand as a Home Wrecker walked up. "Everybody else do the same with the other dragons." As other dragons walked up to the rest of the group they all held out their hands, and looked away. Suddenly they all felt a dragon nudge their nose against the troll's palms. The trolls looked at the dragon and was amazed at what they witnessed.

"Now you and the dragons are friends." Branch smiled.

"I... I can't believe it." Poppy gasped

"Oh believe it." Branch laughed "You to have a bond now. She will be as loyal to you as any companion will be."

"She's beautiful." Poppy gasped "I will name her, Star Fire."

"Would you love to ride her?"

"Would I love to ride her?" Poppy gasped "Is that even a question? Yes!"

"Hop on." Poppy quickly jumped on the dragon and waited for Branch's further instructions. The other trolls did the same thing with theirs.

"Now the key to flying a dragon is to trust each other. If you and your dragon don't trust you will guide each other then your going to crash. Your dragon needs to trust you will guide it where to go, while you need to trust that the dragon will keep you safe. It's a bond that you and your dragon shares. Now, pat your dragon on the neck and she will gently take off."

"Star fire up," Poppy said patting her new dragon on the neck. Star Fire spread her wings and flew off. Poppy Squealed in excitment at what she was witnessing.

"Oh my gods this is amazing! I'm flying! I'm flying!"

"Your doing amazing!" Branch cheered watching the show from on the ground.

"This is the best day of my life!" Reby squealed as she raced around the sky doing loops in mid air.

"Showoff" Guy Diamond scoffed at Reby's showing as he was flying his dragon, a Monstrous Reaper.

Cooper found himself struggling as he tried to ride a Troll Eater and soon found himself screaming as he and his dragon came crashing to the ground.

"I think me and my dragon has trust issues." Cooper moaned as his dragon fell on top of him.

"We will work it out." Branch laughed.

A hour later the trolls finally flew home. It was way past Midnight and the sun would be coming out in a couple hours but the group was to excited to care. Everything they found out, from the dragon nest to the truth about why the dragons attacked them. It was unreal.

"I can't believe it." Poppy said as she stepped off Star Fire. "This morning I was wanting to be the one that finished top of the class so I could kill a dragon in front of everyone. And now," Poppy stared at her dragon as she petted his snout. "I couldn't imagine harming a single scale of this pretty thing. Thanks for this Branch."

"Just following my calling." Poppy then punched Branch on the shoulder. "OW what was that for?"

"That was for kidnapping me," Poppy then gave Branch a quick kiss on the cheek before turning away and blushing. "And that was, you know for everything else." Poppy then got back on Star fire and flew home. Branch just stood in awe for a second and rubbed the spot on his cheek that Poppy kissed. He then turned around and saw his friends and their dragons, even Melody, giving Branch a teasing smile.

"Well what are you guys looking at?"

 **Before I let you go I would like to give one last set of hints for my next adaption, and you might not know this but the hint is actually some Easter eggs that I have dropped in this story the whole time that unless you don't know the game you never would have noticed. The Widowmaker Dragon as well as the Monstrous Reaper both got their names from a couple of the villains in the game. Widow Maker and Reaper are to of the chief villains of the game I am about to adapt. That is the last hint I will give you.  
**


	13. The truth exposed

**I know that this has nothing to do with this story or the How to train your dragon or Trolls fandom but you HAVE to all go see Incredible's 2 if you haven't yet. It is my new favorite Pixar movie, surpassing the long held spot belonging to Finding Nemo. Seriously it's amazing, five stars 10/10 well worth seeing. If you haven't seen it yet go now, this chapter will be here when you get back.**

Scared wouldn't appropriately fit what Branch felt when he woke up the following morning, more like terrified. He knew what he had to do, he had to at least try to tell the tribe the truth about the dragons, but doing so came with extreme risks. He could be deemed a traitor for siding with the dragons, and be exiled, or worse. Still he knew it was his calling, so rather he was ready or not he had to tell the truth about those dragons when he was in that arena, and prey that his grandmother spared his life afterword.

Speaking of Grandmother, as Branch walked into the kitchen he saw that Rosiepuff had fixed him a huge breakfast made of eggs bacon and blueberry pancakes. She also sported a smile he rarely saw with her.

"Good morning my little dragon killer." Rosiepuff sang.

"What's with so much food?"

"Well your about to slay for first dragon, it's only fitting that you have yourself a big breakfast. You should of seen the breakfast my father made me the morning I killed my first dragon. I could barely move afterword it was so big. But I toned it down a bit for you, don't want to much food to slow you down you know."

"Um, thanks grandma." Branch sighed as he dug into his pancakes.

"Oh I am so excited," Rosiepuff squealed "To think today my grandson finally becomes a dragon killer. I have always been proud of you Branch."

"You have?"

"Yes, a little overprotective, but proud. And today, nobody can be more proud of you then me. Today you are no longer a little boy, but a man." Rosiepuff lifted her coffee mug for a toast and ushered Branch to do the same. "To my grandson, for becoming a man."

"Oh boy, this is going to be harder than I thought" Branch thought to himself. He had never seen his grandmother so happy before, it will kill her to know what he was about to do."

Things was equally crazy at the dragon arena. There was a huge festival in Branch's honor, the whole tribe showed up and Rosiepuff gave a huge speech to the crowd.

"Well nice to see I can finally show my face in public again." That joke caused the whole crowd (minus Poppy and Branch's friends who was concerned over Branch) to roar in laughter. When the crowd calmed down Rosiepuff continued "Jokes aside I have always been proud of my little grandson, but if you had told me that he would finish first in dragon training I would have had you lead off in a straight jacket for going bloody mad! But seeing what I have witnessed nobody is more surprised or more proud that I am right now. So let's get this show started shall we!" The crowd erupted in cheers and chants for Branch's name.

The tribe started filling the seats, and the twins, took this opportunity to try to make a quick buck by selling arena snacks.

"Popcorn, get your popcorn here!" Satin offered.

"Forget Popcorn, get some cotton candy!" Chenille countered.

"Girl nobody wants cotton candy! Everybody knows Popcorn is the most popular snack.

"Yeah if your going to see a play. But in the arena it's cotton candy!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"You two are idiots." Creek replied annoyed as he witnessed the confrontation unfold

"I'll take one of each," Cloud Guy replied as he walked up to the twins and offered them a twenty dollar bill "Keep the change, I'm cloud Guy I'm rich." Cloud Guy took his snacks and headed for the stands. The twins turned to Creek and waved the bill in his face as they shot him a teasing smirk.

"We may be idiot's but we're rich idiots." Creek just face palmed.

"Do you sell drinks?" Peppy asked walking up to the twins.

On the other side of the arena Branch was finishing getting ready, putting on his helmet and breastplate hoping that it would be enough to protect from the dragons fire if things went horribly wrong, which it probably would.

"You don't have to go out there you know." Poppy replied, hoping to talk Branch out of walking into what she feared was a suicide attempt.

"I have know choice. If I don't at least try to tell them the truth who will?"

"There has to be another way to do this."

"There is no other way, no matter how much I wish there was. Poppy if things go wrong and I don't make it out of this. Make sure they don't find Melody."

"I will, but promise me things won't go wrong."

"I can't promise that."

"It's time Branch." Peppy said walking up to Branch, while sipping on a drink. "Knock them dead."

"It's not the dragon I fear is going to get knocked dead." Branch said to himself as he walked into the arena to a roar of applause. Branch walked to the weapons cart and took a shield and the least intimidating weapon he saw, a small dagger, hoping that a non intimidating weapon would make whatever dragon came from that gate less likely to attack him.

His weapon chosen Branch took a deep sigh and turned to Peppy "I'm ready." Peppy opened the cage and out came running the dragon Branch wanted to go up against the least, a Monstrous Reaper.

"Oh man." Branch gulped. Monstrous Reapers were among the most dangerous knows species of dragons, considering that they could light themselves of fire. Even experienced dragon killers feared going up against these things. Seeing that Reaper light itself on fire and run up to him only increased Branch's fear of getting himself killed.

"Go on Branch, give it to him!" Branch heard Rosiepuff cheer from the crowd. Branch stayed put though and took a deep breath, it was now or never. As the dragon walked up to him he set down his dagger and his shield and put both his hands out in a non threatening manner.

"It's okay." Branch whispered

"What's he doing?" Rosiepuff asked

"It's okay," Branch ensured again, he then took off his helmet, tossed it to the side and ripped off his breastplate, leaving himself completely defenseless. "I'm not one of them."

Everybody gasped when he heard that. Peppy spit out his drink and started coughing "WHAT!"

"Stop the fight," Rosiepuff ordered.

"No!" Branch replied "I need you all to see this." Branch put one hand up to the Reaper's snout "They are not what we think they are. We do not have to kill them."

"I said stop the fight!" Rosiepuff screamed. The loudness of Rosiepuff's voice startled the Reaper and he instantly set himself on fire again and attacked, shooting fire at Branch causing him to run for cover.

"Branch!" Poppy screamed

"No!" Reby gasped from the stands.

Back in the forest Melody and her incredible sense of hearing could hear Branch screaming. Fear for her master kicking in Melody took off flying as fast as she could toward the Troll Tree, hoping that she wouldn't be to late.

"Get out of my way." Rosiepuff ordered running towards the gates entrance.

"Branch! Run for it!"

"No!" Branch screamed hiding behind the weapons cart "They need to all understand!" Poppy grabbed her ax and propped open the gates. Branch needed help and if he wouldn't defend himself then she would. She picked up a hammer and threw it at the Reaper. Big mistake cause now the Reaper noticed and started to target her.

"This way!" Rosiepuff screamed as she finished opening the gate. Poppy ran for the exits, but before Branch could escape the Reaper cornered him and pinned him to the ground. Branch stared at the dragon's yellow eyes in horror thinking this was indeed his end, but before the dragon could kill him they all heard the high pitched squeal of a Feathered Fury. Everybody turned and Branch's eyes widened in shock as Melody blasted through the arena gates and tackled the Reaper.

At first nobody could see what was happening as the arena was covered in smoke. But as the smoke cleared everybody gasped and screamed at the sight of Melody attacking the Reaper.

"Feathered Fury!" Peppy gasped

"This is totally worth the price of admission." Cloud Guy laughed chomping on his popcorn as he sat calmly in his seat and watched the two dragons do battle. The Reaper pinned itself on top of Melody but Melody bit it's leg forcing the Reaper off of her, she then placed herself in between the Reaper and Branch, refusing to let the reaper near it. With a loud roar Melody showed the Reaper her dominance and the Reaper backed off the attack.

"Melody you got to get out here." Branch ordered once the Reaper returned to the cage. Melody didn't have any time to flee because soon half the arena stormed into the gates, pulled Hiccup away and pinned Melody onto the floor.

"No please she won't harm you," Branch pleaded. Melody whipped her tail and shook some of the trolls off of her, but soon more came in and replaced them, overpowering her. "No!" His then saw Rosiepuff approaching Melody with a ax and a strong urge to save his dragon came in. He broke loose of the troll holding him back and placed himself in front of Melody just as Rosiepuff started to lower her ax. She quickly stopped her swing when Branch jumped in front of the dragon.

"Grandma please don't hurt her."

"Get out of the way Branch!" Rosiepuff orderd.

"No, if you kill this dragon, you kill your grandson too!" Rosiepuff didn't understand Branch's sudden obsession to protect this dragon. But he had her in a no choice situation. As mad as he was with her grandson she couldn't kill him, so he put down his ax and turned to Peppy.

"Put it with the others." Peppy then ordered the trolls holding Melody to drag her to the cages. Rosiepuff picked Branch off the ground and stared at him with the scariest eyes he had ever witnessed come from her. "You and I are going to have a _serious_ talk mister." Rosiepuff then drug Branch off. Branch's friends could only watch from the arena seats as both Melody and Branch were drug off in separate directions, powerless to do anything about it.

"Wow that was a great show." Cloud Guy suddenly busted out walking up to Branch's friends. "Hope there's a sequel to that one."

"Dude seriously?" Cooper scolded.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Rosiepuff scolded when she drug Branch back to the house.

"Grandma if you just let me explain."

"No!" Rosiepuff screamed, Branch took two steps backwards in shock. Branch was use to Rosiepuff being mad at him, and he was use to the arguments, but rarely did Rosiepuff straight up scream at him like she was now. This was a new form of anger that he had never felt before, a feel of betrayal. "There's nothing to explain Branch. You've done a lot of stupid things in the past, but even during your worst, I never, _never,_ would of thought you would flat out betray us."

And there it was, the accusation Branch feared he would get, traitor. "Grandma, this isn't how it looks."

"Then what is it then?!" Rosiepuff screamed "You've befriended the dragons, the same dragons that have killed hundreds of us throughout the years, killed _your parents._ You have dishonored and betrayed your tribe, your family!"

"Grandma please if you just let me explain."

"You know the worst part of this Branch? Is that I went against everything I believed in to give you this opportunity, because I thought it was something you wanted. I went against the Cloud Guy's calling, I went against my fears that you would get killed. I went against all of that because you begged me to give you a shot. And this is what I get for being a good Grandmother, for trying to be your friend?"

"Grandma, you don't understand."

"No you don't understand. You don't understand how serious of a situation this is. Do you know the penalty for treason here? I could have you banished or even killed for such a crime like this. I have a reputation here Branch. I am the chief of this tribe! I am supposed and expected to uphold the laws of the land no matter who it is! And for my own Grandson, who I love and have worked my butt off over the years to commit treason? Do you know how much this hurts me?"

"Well if your going to brand me a traitor you better brand your son as one too because he did the same things I did!" Branch was instantly met with a slap to the face and if he thought Rosiepuff couldn't look anymore madder he was dead wrong. The look he was receiving now from his grandma could kill even the toughest troll if looks could indeed kill.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about your father like that. He never befriended dragons or betrayed our tribe, and he got killed by these dragons you befriended."

"You are wrong on everything you just said Grandma." Branch said as he picked himself off the floor and rubbed his jaw. He did befriend the dragons, and he was never killed by them, the dragons took him and my mom away from here so they could help free them. And they died trying to save them from slavery!"

"Branch you are making no sense."

"I've got proof Grandma. They are slaves, if they don't get enough food they will become food themselves. My parents died trying to free them from that situation. I've been to their nest I saw their bodies I have proof of this."

"The nest?" Rosiepuff gasped, it was then that Branch realized he might have said to much. "You've been to the nest, where is it?"

"Oh Grandma please don't make me do this?"

"Branch you are in trouble up to your hair, if you want to avoid a treason charge and possible banishment you will give me the location to the nest _right now."_

"I can't because I didn't find it, Melody did. Only a dragon can find the location to the nest." Rosiepuff then straightened up with a idea, and despite not being a professional mind reader Branch could tell exactly what she was thinking.

"Oh Grandma please no," To late Rosiepuff was already on her way out the door. "Please trust me you can't win this one. There is something else out there, something unlike you have ever seen." Branch was grabbing Rosiepuff by the arm trying to pull her back but Rosiepuff was easily overpowering him "FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE WILL YOU PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!?"

"You have sided with the enemy Branch." Rosiepuff replied "You have betrayed not only my trust but the tribe, and have brought shame to the tribe and your family. You have no say in anything anymore. I will spare you a treason charge and punishment because of my love for you, but that's the only mercy I will show. You have disgraced us all."

If words could kill, Branch would be dead. As Rosiepuff slammed the door shut Branch fell to the floor and wept. Traitor, she called him a traitor, and a disgrace. Perhaps he was a traitor, a traitor to the dragons. He was supposed to save them, bring peace between them and the trolls, but all he did was give the trolls the key to finding them. He wasn't their savoir, he was their doom. He failed.

"I'm sorry mom and dad," Branch cried to himself, curled up in a ball alone at the front door. "I've failed you."


	14. Final Battle

Branch watched powerless, unable to do anything as Rosiepuff loaded the ships ready to sail out again to find and destroy the dragon nest. Rosiepuff drug Melody to her own ship, chained her up and muzzled her attending to use her to find the nest.

"Lead us home devil."

Branch wished he could run over there fight off his Grandma and her men, free Melody and fly off to the skies, but doing so would only seal his status as a traitor and he would never bring peace between the two species. So he stood on top of the cliff watching defenseless as his Grandma set sail with his dragon to wipe out the same dragons Branch's parents tried to protect years ago, not realizing what was waiting for them when they arrived.

Branch was still staring at the ocean long after the ships were out of sight when Cloud Guy arrived and stood next to him "What? You ain't going to yell at me, tell me how I ruined your life, chase me around tunnels with a stick threatening to rip my tiny cloud arms off my tiny cloud body and high five my face with them? Come on man humor me will you?"

"What's the point?" Branch sighed "I failed, Grandma has Melody, and is heading to the dragons nest, and I can't do anything about it. It's over."

"Maybe," Cloud Guy replied "Maybe not."

"Why couldn't you have chosen Reby for this job? Somebody who loved dragons from the beginning."

"Okay Branch let me let you in on a secret, I don't actually choose people for anything."

"What?"

"When parents bring their children up to me, I look into their future and tell them what I see. When I pick people to be dragon killers or non dragon killers it's because I have seen into their future and seen what they are going to become. But I never force them to do anything. When I looked into you I saw the savoir of the dragons, the one who will bring peace to the dragons and the trolls, but do you know why I never told you that?"

"Why?"

"Because I can't force you to do anything. You needed to make the decision for yourself. Even if you hadn't have ran into me on that mountain and told you, you wasn't a dragon killer, you still would have found yourself unable to kill that dragon. You still would have been sent you dragon training school and you still would have found yourself training Melody and building a friendship. Nothing that has happened would have been any different then what it is now and you would still be on top of this cliff moping about how bad your life is right now."

"I still would have found about what happened to my parents?"

"Okay now _that_ you probably wouldn't have found out if I hadn't had told you but the results would have been no different. You still would have battled the Demon Dragon and found yourself trying to rescue the dragons. Now that I have let you in on my secret let me ask you something. Why didn't you kill that dragon? And don't say it's because of destiny I want to see things from your own eyes.

"I don't know, I just couldn't."

"That's a lie, you had the dragon tied up and trapped, you had a dagger pointed at the dragon you easily could have killed him."

"Why is this important to you all of a sudden? You know the answer."

"Your right, I do, but I want to hear it from your own mouth. I want to hear exactly what you say right now."

"I was a coward I was weak, I wouldn't kill a dragon!"

"You said wouldn't that time."

"Your right I wouldn't, three hundred years and I was the first troll who wouldn't kill a dragon."

"First to ride one though. So why wouldn't you?"

Branch sighed "I wouldn't kill him because she looked as frighted as I was. I looked at her and I saw myself."

"I bet she is really frightened now."

"It doesn't matter though. I can't handle this one on my own."

"Your not alone though." Branch heard Poppy say behind him. Branch turned around and saw his friends and Poppy all standing behind him with determined looks on their faces.

"How long have you all been standing there?"

"Long enough to here the conversation." Poppy replied "We're here to help you."

"I can't let you do that, it's dangerous and you aren't experienced dragon riders."

"We are experienced enough." Reby replied "And we took down that monster once."

"We did," Poppy added "Your right you can't do this on your own. But if we work together, we can win this, you can still save Melody, save all the dragons."

"I like Melody," Cooper said "She might be a dragon and is powerful enough to kill me but she is actually really cute."

"So what are you going to do now then?" Poppy asked

"Probably something stupid."

"Well you already did that."

"Then something crazy."

"That's more like it."

Rosiepuff didn't say much as Melody was forced to lead the trolls to the dragons nest, she was still heartbroken over Branch's actions. She tried to act tough for her tribe, but everybody could tell as Rosiepuff stared at the sea in silence that she was still in pain. They understood the reason, her own grandson had betrayed the tribe. Anyone of them would have felt the same way.

"Are you going to be okay?" Peppy asked Rosiepuff in concern.

"I don't know," Was Rosiepuff's response. "He's my own blood, the only family I have left after my son died. I honestly don't know what to do with him right now. I am the chief of this tribe, I am supposed to uphold the law even if it's against my own family. But I can't with him."

"Well we are here to support you no matter the decision."

"Let's just get this done, the sooner we destroy the dragon's nest, the sooner we can finally end this war and put this behind us. Then I will worry about Branch."

The trolls noticed Melody's eyes light up again and her neck turn left. The trolls then steered the boat left, followed by the rest of the boats.

"Oh I was wondering where this lead to." Peppy responded.

"We are getting close, I can feel it." Rosiepuff whispered.

Thirty minutes later the boats landed at the dragons nest. Rosiepuff was the first to step out, arming herself with a ax.

"Three hundred years and we have finally found it." Rosiepuff replied excited. "Ready the catapult's when that nest opens all hell will break loose." One of the trolls fired a boulder from a catapult, slamming it against the nest causing a giant hole to appear. All the dragons instantly shot out, flying above Rosiepuff and her men. The trolls swung their weapons at them but surprisingly found themselves unable to hit a single one. What was even more surprising was that the dragons didn't fight back, they just flew off and left them, leaving every single one of them confused as to what happened.

"Was that it?" Peppy asked "What a let down."

"We won!" One of the trolls cheered causing most of the army to join in the celebration. Rosiepuff wasn't celebrating, she had a suspicion something wasn't quite right. Her suspicion's rose when she heard a roar coming from inside the cave.

"This isn't over men, brace yourselves."

Suddenly the whole cave exploded sending rocks flying in every direction. The trolls had to duck behind their shields to avoid getting hit. Once the rocks stopped flying Rosiepuff peaked her head out of her shield and gasped when she saw a giant red dragon four times the size of a troll with bony wings and a flaming skull head and black smoke coating it's body.

"Oh my Thor what is that?" Peppy screamed staring at the sight of that dragon.

"Odin help us." Rosiepuff gasped.

Branch gathered his friends and his fellow dragon training students in the dragon arena and went through his plan to rescue the dragons and his grandmothers army from the Demon Dragon. The students from dragon training didn't know how to feel about the idea of riding dragons over their in fact some of them looked at him as if he was crazy, but Branch remained persistent.

"If you want to get yourself killed, I suggest trying to ride the Widowmaker." Biggie said when Branch started to open the cages.

"I love this plan." Satin responded

"I don't" Creek replied

"Your crazy." Chenille added "And that means something coming from me."

"We are with you to the end Branch." Poppy replied "Now open those cages."

"Wait can we talk about this?" Creek whined as Branch opened the cages

"Stop being a wuss" Poppy responded. All the dragons walked out of their cages and slowly walked to the students. Creek slowly tried to make his way to a dagger to defend himself, still scared of the dragons but Poppy spatted his hand away. Branch grabbed Creek's other hand and scooted towards the Monstrous Reaper's snout.

"Wait what are you doing? What are you doing?"

"Trust me." Branch placed Creek's hand on the Reaper's snout and Creek was astonished to see how calm and accepting the dragon was to him, like he knew Creek was no threat."

"How is this possible?"

"As I tried to tell you all in the arena, we don't have to fight these dragons." Branch turned to the rest of the class. "Everything you knew about dragons are wrong. They were never the enemy, they are slaves to a bigger enemy, a demon dragon who forces them to steal from us or get killed themselves. Now my Grandmother, the chief is about to go up against it unprepared. She needs our help, the dragons need our help."

"How can we be sure about all of this?" Biggie asked

"Cause I have seen it too." Poppy spoke out "I wanted to be top dragon killer more then any of you, so if I say what Branch is saying is true, then it's true."

"None of you have to join me if you want to. But if you care for your tribe then I beg you, help me take down this demon dragon.

"I'm in." Creek said still amazed by the Reaper's acceptance of him.

"Sounds crazy." The twins replied "We're in!"

"Eh, I doubt I was going to live to see thirty anyway so why not." Biggie sighed.

"Then pick your dragon and let's get flying."

Despite having the strength in numbers, Rosiepuff's army found themselves quickly overpowered by the Demon Dragon. Their weapons couldn't pierce it's bony skin. It's fire was hotter then any dragon they had ever fought. They soon found their shields melting due to the heat of the dragon's flames. One troll tried to stab at the dragon's underbelly, what was supposed to be the most vulnerable part of the dragon. But even the underbelly was to tough for their swords, and the demon dragon grabbed the troll's foot in it's mouth, flipped the screaming troll in the air and ate the troll in one bite.

Overpowered Rosiepuff had no choice but to try to flee. "Retreat, get to the ships." The trolls ran towards the ships but the Demon Dragon was not about to let the trolls escape. He fired his flames at the boat setting them all on fire, Melody who was still chained to Rosiepuff's ship tugged and pulled at her chains trying to get free at the sight of the flames.

"We're trapped!" Peppy screamed "What do we do now?"

Rosiepuff closed her eyes and sighed "The one thing we can do, go out in a blaze of glory."

"It's been a honor fighting beside you Rosiepuff"

"And fighting along side you as well Peppy." The two raised their swords as the Demon dragon raised up on his hid feet ready to burn them two death when suddenly it found itself get blasted by a oncoming dragon.

"Cheer's love the cavalry's here!" They heard Suki cheer as she came flying to the rescue riding a Homewrecker.

"Look at me mom, I'm riding a dragon!" Reby waved at her parents who just stared in shock.

"What the..." Rosiepuff gasped at the sight of seeing her grandson and the others flying to the rescue on dragons.

"That boy is twice the stubborn troll you ever were." Peppy responded.

"Biggie Cooper, Creek, Reby, try to see if you can find that Demon's blind spot," Branch ordered as he rode on Star fire with Poppy"Twins, see if you can cause a destraction for that thing."

"No problem, I'm good at distractions." Satin replied

"Not near as much as me, see!" Chenille turned upside down on her half of the Troll eater she rode and made a annoying face.

"Yeah that should work." Branch moaned rolling his eyes "The rest of you help out the trolls down there and get them to safety, Poppy and I are going to find Melody!" The trolls flew off to do what they were ordord as Poppy flew to find Melody. Soon they saw her struggling to get free from the chains, surrounded by flames.

"There I see him lower me down!"

"But the flames."

"Trust me!"

Despite her best judgement, Poppy lowered Branch down on the burning boat. "Go help the others!" Branch demanded, Poppy nodded and flew off.

"Okay hold on Melody, hold on!" Branch cried, trying to calm Melody down as he worked on the chains around Melody's neck.

Meanwhile the twins flew up to the Demon Dragon and started yelling at it.

"Hey over here! Your mother was a salamander!" The Demon Dragon responded by blasting a fireball at the twins who easily avoided it. "Oh what's the matter did we hurt your feeling? Do you need a kiss? Here kiss this!" The twins stood up on the Troll Eater's heads and started shaking their butts at the Demon Dragon. The Demon dragon growled and readied himself for another blast when the four other trolls flew up to him and started beating on their shields in a attempt to confuse the dragon.

"Please have a blind spot, please have a blind spot." Biggie said really fast as he beat on his shield.

"So what's your dragon's name?" Reby asked Biggie as she beat on her shield. "Mine's Arrow."

"Sapphire," Biggie responded.

"Mine's Razar." Cooper replied

"Blue Fang," Creek said

"What? Your dragon doesn't even have a blue fang." Satin teased as the twins started shooting funny faces in the dragon's direction.

"Oh yeah, what's yours?"

"Ash and Cinder!" The twins responded "Because they are fire breathing dragon's duh!"

"Hey I think it's working!" Biggie noticed the Demon Dragon getting loopy and confused, unfortunately so were the dragons they were on, Blue Fang got extremely loopy from the beating of shields and threw Creek right off and onto the back of the Demon Dragon. Both Biggie and Cooper lost control of the dragons they were on and started spinning toward the Earth. Biggie was the first to land, gaining enough control of Sapphire to land her on her feet.

"I'm okay!"

Cooper landed next, screaming as Razar face planted on the dirt, tipped over and landed on her back on top of Cooper "I'm not!"

"The heck with this shield!" Reby tossed her shield to the side and took out her bow and shot a arrow in the Demon Dragon's right eye! "Look's like you got something in your eye!"

"Nice one now get me off this thing!" Creek ordered. Reby flew Creek close enough to hop on Arrow's back. As they were about to fly off The Demon Dragon got the arrow out of it's eye and fired a angry at the two hitting Arrow in the side. In a fit of pain Arrow bucked the two off and started diving to the Earth.

"Arrow!" Reby Screamed. The two trolls landed on the necks of Ash and Cinder right behind the twins.

"Need a lift?" The twins asked. Reby looked to see if her Reaper was okay and to her relief saw him land safely on the ground.

"Good boy stay there."

As Branch continued to try to free Melody, the crow's nest suddenly got consumed in flames and fell, splitting the boat in two causing the two of them to sink. Branch tried to swim over to Melody, who was still chained but a hand reached up above him and pulled him above water before he could reach her. The hand of course belonged to Rosiepuff who placed him on a rock

"Grandma, Melody, we need to save her!" Branch protested. Rosiepuff didn't respond as she dived back into the water. She swam to where Melody laid and quickly ripped apart the chains on her neck and feet and pulled her above Melody swam on the rock with Branch, Branch wasted no time climbing aboard him.

"Let's say we finish this girl."

"Branch wait!" Rosiepuff cried out running to him and taking his hand. "I'm sorry, for everything."

"Thanks Grandma."

"You don't have to go up there."

"Yeah I kind of do. This is my battle, if I don't fight it who will?"

"I'm proud to call you my grandson. Now go, win this!" Melody took off in the sky, Branch rallied his remaining riders up.

"Let's hit him with everything we got!" Branch ordered.

"That's the only way to do it!" Poppy cheered as Star fire hit the Demon Dragon in the side with a blast.

"You need a time out Demon!" Suki screamed as she flew her home wrecker close "Darla fire!" The Homewrecker, who Suki named Darla fired a blast hitting the Demon Dragon in the side of the face.

"Say Goodnight!" Guy Diamond Screamed as his dragon A Widowmaker fired a blast of his in the Demon Dragon's face!"

"Have some of this!" Reby responded shooting a arrow in the Demon Dragon's back.

"Eat it you ugly lizard!" Smidge roared firing spikes from her Homewrecker's tail in his direction. Fuzzbert somehow found himself a trumpet and blew the "Charge" music from it allowing his Widowmaker to fire a blast in the Demon's side.

Poppy flew in front of the Demon dragon about to attack, but the Demon Dragon started sucking Poppy towards his mouth it wouldn't be long before Poppy would become that dragons next meal. Branch spotted Poppy and Star fire trying to get free and firing a huge blast Melody hit the Demon on the side of the head.

The blast had more impact then Branch intended because not only did it temporarily stun the Demon Dragon but it also knocked Poppy off Star Fire. Branch had to act fast to save Poppy. Melody flew after her at top speed, grabbing Poppy by the leg and landing her safely on the ground.

Now all he could focus primarily on the Demon Dragon, with Poppy safe Branch flew straight after his target, it was time to finish this.

"Go," Poppy hollered out at him.

"Reby I need your bow." Branch called out.

"How come?"

"Trust me I have a plan,"

"Fine but if you get even a scratch it won't be that demon dragon that kills you."

"Warning noted." Branch responded taking the bow and a few arrows. "Guy Diamond do you still have that feather sword."

"Of course." Guy Diamond said handing it to Branch.

"Seriously?" Reby scolded

"Trust me, this time it will be used for good. One more thing I need to do this alone."

"What?"

"Trust me, I need to do this."

Reby sighed, she didn't want Branch to go up there alone, but she couldn't stop him either. "Fine, but promise me you will come back alive."

"I will." Branch the took one of Reby's arrow and having Melody light it he shot it at the Demon Dragon causing it to chase after him. Branch then flew to the sky the Demon Dragon fired shot after shot but Melody's fast speed caused her to dodge every one.

"Okay Melody, it's time to blind this thing." Melody flew up and hid in the clouds. From inside the clouds Melody fired a blast which was quickly followed with Branch shooting a arrow. They then quickly flew behind another cloud and repeated the process they did that time and time again with the Demon unable to tell where each shot was coming from.

Fed up the Demon fired in every direction hoping to force Branch to show again.

Branch did reveal himself, but he flew out wielding the sword that was now set ablaze by Melody. Branch through his sword, striking the Beast in the forehead. It didn't kill the Demon Dragon and he knew it wouldn't, it was all part of the plan. Furious the Demon Dragon opened his mouth ready to go for the kill, that is when Melody and Branch both fired one last shot. Branch fired a flaming arrow in the dragon's mouth and Melody fired a deadly blast in the Demon Dragon's mouth as well. The Demon Dragon screamed and the two watched as the Demon dragon's skin started to turn to ash. The Demon dragon exploded in a ball of flames, knocking Branch off Melody and sending him falling into the flames.

Scared for her friend Melody dived toward Branch, wrapping her wings around him shielding him from the blast as the two crashed into the earth in a wall of smoke.

"Branch!" Rosiepuff hollered out when the smoke cleared. The Demon Dragon was destroyed, it' bones scattered across the island, but there was no signs of Branch or Melody, and Rosiepuff was getting worried about her Grandson. "Branch were are you?" Rosiepuff suddenly spotted Melody laying on the ground in the distance. Melody appeared badly wounded and her prosthetic tail was destroyed.

Rosiepuff ran over hoping to see Branch with her, but to her horror Branch was not there. "No," Rosiepuff cried collapsing to her knees fearing that her Grandson did not make it. "I did this, this is my fault."

Everyone else ran up to where Rosiepuff laid and they too let out a horrified gasp when they saw Melody without her rider.

"No?" Reby cried, cupping her palm over her mouth as a tear fell from her eye.

"Branch!" Poppy gasped tears falling from her eyes and a closed fist over her mouth.

"Oh my gah?" Smidge gasped, she bowed her head in mourning in closed her eyes, everyone else did the same as well.

"Oh Branch, I am so sorry." Rosiepuff cried. It was right then that Melody spread out her wings and Rosiepuff saw Branch laying beside her unconscious.

"Branch!" Rosiepuff grabbed her grandson and put a ear to his heart and let out a sigh of relief. "He's alive, you brought him back alive!"

Everyone cheered in joy and hugged each other. Rosiepuff put a hand on Melody's head overcome with joy. "Thank you, for saving my Grandson."

It was then Peppy walked up and noticed something wrong with Branch "Well most of him."

 **Next Chapter will be it and then we are done with this story**

 **Real quickly, to all of you who are reading Eden I need to apologize because I was wanting to update it this week but that may or may not happen. I left my computer charger at my Parents house and I may not have enough charge to write another chapter before the battery dies. I will get it this weekend when I am off work but until then I will need to watch my battery life. I know I ended the last chapter on a cliffhanger am I am so sorry for the possible delay. This stuff happens.**

 **Till next time, cheers.**


	15. Peace at last

**I know I said I would update Eden when I got my computer charger back but with this being the last chapter I thought I would finish this up first. I promise my next upload will be to Eden. So be patient please.**

 **Now let's finish this shall we?**

Branch remained in coma for three days, during that time Rosiepuff never left his side. She prayed to the gods that they would spare her Grandson and vowed she would right the wrongs she committed.

She started with making peace with the dragons. With the Demon Dragon gone, the dragons no longer attacked the trolls village, and Rosiepuff declared they were allowed to roam free without persecution. Several troll families took some dragons in as pets.

Many of the town folks were proud to no longer see the dragons as pests, but even through all that joy their were still concern for the one who made it all possible, Branch. His right arm was badly burned and damaged in the battle, to the point were it had to be amputated. Peppy built Branch a prosthetic using the materials he made his weapons with, but there was no guarantee that the prosthetic would work. Nearly the entire village lefts get well packages in Branch's room, Cooper brought cupcakes for Branch to snack on when he finally woke up, Poppy brought flowers, and Reby wrote a card that read _You better live or I will kill you._ The entire village was concerned for their hero and prayed that he would soon wake up.

Reby also made peace with her parents during those three days. Seeing that Reby was not near as crazy as believed for her love for dragons Reby's parents apologized and told her how proud they were of her and Reby moved back in with them shortly after returning to the Island

Finally, Mid afternoon on the third day, with Rosiepuff by his side Branch woke up and saw his Grandmother sitting beside him.

"Oh Branch your awake, that Thor!" Rosiepuff swooped in and gave Branch the biggest hug he had ever felt in his life.

"Hey easy, injured Troll hear!" Branch wheezed, still in pain from his near death experience.

"Oh sorry." Rosiepuff released her hug.

"How long was I out?" Branch asked, he then noticed the prosthetic arm that he now sported "And what happened when I was out?"

"You were out for three days." Rosiepuff answered "We nearly lost you. We would have if it wasn't for your dragon. I don't know how you learned all those things about those dragons, but however you did, I hope you can teach us as well, teach me."

"You want to be a dragon rider? That's it I must be dead."

"Come Branch, there is something I want to show you." Rosiepuff led Branch outside the his house where outside waiting for him was a nearly the entire tribe, all running outside with dragons. But these trolls weren't attacking the dragons, they were playing with them. Branch just froze in disbelief, many of these trolls were among the best dragon killers in the tribe.

Yep, I knew it, I _am_ dead!"

"Nah, but you gave it your best shot."

"Branch!" All of Branch's friends came running toward him, relieved to see him alive and awake.

"Oh Branch we were so worried about you." Cooper cried wrapping his front legs around Branch

"Don't you ever scare us like that again young man." Suki said

"Who are you calling a young man," Branch replied "We are the same age."

"What's up lefty!" Creek blurted out noticing Branch's prosthetic arm. His remark caused him to get a punch in the shoulder from Suki

"OW! What was that for?"

"Too soon man, way to soon."

Reby was the next to confront Branch. Reby walked up to him and planted a punch on Branch's left shoulder.

"Hey I thought I was the hero here!" Branch replied rubbing his shoulder

"You owe me a new bow mister after causing my last one to get scorched." Reby quickly followed up with a hug. "But I am so glad you are alive."

Reby wasn't the only one greeting Branch with a punch, Poppy too walked up to Branch and delivered a punch to his shoulder as well.

"Hey, what is it with people punching me all of a sudden?!"

"That's for scaring me."

"Is this going to be a regular thing with you...?" Branch was cut off when Poppy grabbed him and planted a kiss to Branch's lips, which he gladly accepted "You know I could get use to this."

"Who knew that all this time we just needed some of... this." Rosiepuff replied

"You just pointed at all of me."

"Well most of you." Peppy replied "That new arm is my personal design, molded it out of some old material for my weapons. I wanted to use a hook but we're not vikings, we're trolls. What do you think?"

Branch studied his arm for a minute and grabbing Poppy's ax he tossed it at a nearby tree, sticking it in it's bark.

"I think it will work."

"Hey Branch!" Some of the troll kids asked running up. "You want to show us how to ride a dragon?"

"Only if you think you can handle it." Branch replied running up to the kids. Poppy smiled as she watched Branch teaching the kids about proper dragon riding. She still couldn't believe it, a few weeks ago Poppy viewed Branch as someone who didn't belong in the same room as her and the others in the arena. Then her pride turned to hatred and jealousy when Branch started doing well and stealing the spotlight that she thought was hers. Now outside of his grandmother there was probably nobody that cared more about Branch then her, her hatred turned to love, her jealousy turned to admiration.

"How did you know he would do all of this?" Poppy asked Cloud Guy as Cloud Guy walked up to Poppy.

"I'm a all seeing and all knowing Cloud Guru," Cloud Guy said "How is that so hard to understand that I know everything?"

"Well however you knew, it is done, he did it. He saved the dragons, and us all. His mission is now complete."

"Yeah," Cloud Guy nodded "This mission at least anyway."

"Wait there's more?"

"Oh Poppy as long as you are breathing your mission is never over. But to answer your question, yes there is more."

"But I thought his mission was to save the dragons?"

"And they are saved, from the Demon Dragon anyway. But there are more trolls out there that want to harm the dragons, and it is up to Branch and all of you to save them."

"We will," Poppy replied

"Good because one particular villain is on pursuit for a separate Dragon Utopia founded by Branch's Grandfather."

"Grandfather?"

"Oh yeah I probably didn't tell you all, Branch has a Grandfather who worked with Branch's parents as well and when they died his Grandfather started setting up a separate Utopia in their memory. But once danger arrived he had to fake his death so...?"

"Why didn't you ever tell Branch or Rosiepuff!" Poppy scolded.

"Because it's not my job, he has to discover it on his own. Which he will sooner then you think. But you must not tell him or anyone else about this promise?"

Poppy didn't want to promise, but Cloud Guy said that he would indeed discover it, and if she learned anything from watching Branch it's that Cloud Guy was never wrong. "I promise. Your a real pain in the neck you know?"

"That's part of my job." Cloud Guy then floated away and once he arrived back into the mountains he stared into his crystal ball to see how Branch would do in his future mission. What he saw caused him to fall to the floor in distraught and disbelief.

"No!" Cloud Guy Cried "Oh no, no!" The crystal ball soon became coated red in blood, and once the blood cleared the vision was gone. Cloud Guy fell to the ground panting heavy, "No? This can't be?" For if what he saw was right, Branch would soon lose someone close to him in battle, he would lose... Poppy. "No," Cloud Guy curled up in a ball and cried, not wanting to believe what he just saw "No, no, no, no, no!"

"Branch!" Creek called out as Branch was still training the kids. "You want to race!"

"Only if you think you can keep up!"

"Oh please you will be eating my dust."

"We will see about that. First one around the island wins!"

"And last place cleans the winning dragon's pin for the next century." Poppy laughed

"Deal!" Everyone else cheered. Everyone flew off, laughing as their dragons flew across the skies.

 _This is Troll tree, it's not perfect but no place is. It snow's six months of the year and rains the other six. The people that live here is obnoxious their personal hygiene is near non existent. The only upside is the pets. While some people have birds or bunnies, we have... OUR DRAGONS!"_

 **So as you probably figured out I am indeed doing a sequel to this story, and it's going to be a lot darker, more serious and filled with more shocks and surprises then How To Train Your Dragon 2. I am going to try to get it up before the end of the year but I can't make any promises sadly. It all depends on how fast I can get my next adaption done.  
**

 **Speaking of next adaption, I know you have all been literally DYING to know what my next adaption is going to be. Well I will now let you know that my next story is going to be called "Watchdogs" and that the story is going to be loosely based off the Video Game "Overwatch"**

 **I will now take this time to answer your questions.**

 **Riverajacoped1 "But Jpbake I have never played Overwatch and don't know a thing about the story does that mean I can't read this story?"**

 **No at all because the fun thing about Overwatch is that the Game itself doesn't actually have a story mode, instead the game company Blizzard releases the backstory for the game Via animated shorts that you can find on Youtube and through comics. And the Overwatch Lore is still not complete despite it being out for two years so they are still releasing backstory. That means that gives me room to be super creative and make this story my own. So you don;t need to know a thing about this game to read this story.**

 **Black Raider "Should we still do some Homework and Reading up on the game though before reading this?"**

 **As I stated before you don't have to know a thing about the game, but if you really want to do some homework on the game first, I would suggest reading the backstories on all the characters on the Overwatch Wikipedia page and watch the eight animated shorts based on some the characters on Youtube considering I will be borrowing from some of them.**

 **Reby Montana "Can I be in the story?"**

 **This story is going to be huge A trilogy actually, and I already have most of the characters cast, I will even be bringing in characters from other Dreamworks property like Hiccup and Astrid to feel the slots of some of the characters considering there is currently twenty eight playable characters not counting the other characters to the lore, so I don't think I have a spot for you. At least not in the first story.**

 **I won't to finish off Eden before I start on Watchdogs but as soon as Eden is finished I will instantly get started on Watchdogs, and trust me this is going to be one of the most action packed stories I have ever written so keep a look out for that and until next time, take care.**

 **Dang this was a long Authors note.**


End file.
